What Revolution Do You Want to Lead

Umm...the Rebel Alliance against the Empire? Or the revolution against the impending zombie apocalypse? Oh I know, the revolution against the One Ring of Power and its dark lord? How come every time I think of "revolution" I think of some battle where the odds are stacked against a hero but the hero still finds a way to come out triumphant?

Okay so a revolution doesn't have to be an actual battle or war. Basically speaking, a revolution is some kind of social change (or one rotation for you science people). So what social change do I want to be at the forefront of? I have no idea...

The only thing that comes to mind is being at the forefront of the ebook revolution. The way people are accessing books is changing and it won't be surprising if print books disappear in the future. It makes sense. Ebooks are cheaper to produce, cheaper to distribute, eReaders can carry dozens of books at a time in a single eReading device, and interactive features can be imbedded in an ebook to offer a more immersive experience. Imagine a book that comes with it's own soundtrack that fits the specific page you're on. Or a book that links to a character's (real or fiction) social media page. What if a self-help book connects you to people in your community willing to help you out. Furthermore eReaders are becoming much more user-friendly and will get to a place where the screen will do zero damage to your eyes. I want my stories to lead the migration from print to digital books.

What Difference Do You Want to Make?

That's a tough question for me. I don't think about this one enough and when I do I definitely overthink it. Let's try this approach...

I'm a storyteller and my most effective means of communicating is through writing. So I ask myself, what difference can a writer make? I'm no activist so spreading a message about some kind of political or social change movement is not where I want to go. I'm a creative writer, not too interested in the critical aspect of things, so high praise from literary critics doesn't hold much interest to me. I really enjoy reading fiction and hope that the stories I create will inspire a level emotional connection with characters and the same intrigue with plot development that I experience with a good book. Sometimes I experience more emotion through reading than I do in day to day life. Stories of real people and new ideas captivate me and cause me to pause and think "hmm, that's interesting. How do I feel about this?" I would also like to present/share ideas that gives people a new perspective to consider about things new and old.

Okay, so after thinking it through a little I guess I want to stir up dormant emotions and serve as a cerebral flint-strike which sparks new ideas.

What's Your Elevator Pitch?

And the question is:
"So what do you do?" - such a tough question because I'm tempted to answer with what I do to make a living (aka my job). Come to think of it, I've never really answered this question with something other than my job, probably because most people I come across ask "where do you work" instead of "what do you do?" But my job is what I do to make money, it's not what I do so this is a new thing for me. Time to give it a shot:

I'm a storyteller. I really like sharing my ideas and the ideas of others in the hope that people find them useful.
I could end the pitch there or I could add in the following:
Reading a good book is one of my favorite hobbies and I hope that one day the stories I create will connect with readers as well.

If they ask what kind of ideas do you share?

A wide range of topics but my favorites are about personal finance and physical fitness. They seem a little unrelated but in my experience the two really seem to tie together. When there's less stress about money people tend to be healthier overall. Do you find that to be true?

If they ask what are some of your favorite books?

I really like The Hobbit. But to be honest my favorite genre would have to be children's books like Harry Potter and The Rangers Apprentice. I especially like the work Rick Riordan does, he's the one who wrote The Lightning Thief. Riordan has a way of telling a fun story that also teaches readers about mythology.

31 by 31 Results

I set 31 goals to accomplish by my 31st birthday. How'd I do? Not too good! I chose to leave these goals alone last January when I was introduced to Dave Ramsey and began following his plan for personal finance. Basically, most of my goals were replaced by my pursuit to become debt free. In the long run, I think it will be worth it.

Regardless, here's a breakdown of how each goal went:

1. Get my book, Hunters - Rising, published in print. Currently it's a free ebook available here - Didn't do this one, mostly because I'm playing around with some changes to the main character and haven't decided what to do with him.
2. ePublish another book - Didn't do this one
3. Enhance my book, Hunters - Rising. Still working on this. I have a map drawn up so I guess this goal was 50% finished...which is still an F
4. Donate to charity - I guess this depends on how you define "charity." Does offering people advice count? How's about gifts to people and friends? Or is it about donating money to a cause? When I wrote this goal I meant donating money to a cause, so in that sense I did not complete the goal.
5. Get involved with a group, whether it be online or in person - Did this one. I am a part of the BJJ Life blogging group.
6. Contribute to Wikipedia - Did not do this either. 
7. Adopt a tsunami siren - Didn't even look into it
8. Read “Aspects of a Novel” by E.M. Forster - did not read it, though I did read several other books
9. Create and print a business card for myself - Did not look into it
10. Teach somebody a skill - I've taught some people how to budget themselves, I gave a few swimming lessons, and I helped a friend build a resume.
11. Volunteer - Failed
12. Drink something from the top shelf - I had a shot of some fancy tequila 
13. Live each month on a budget - I budget myself every month and stick to it 
14. Read an author recommended book - Yes, I read the book Start by Jon Acuff, recommended by Dave Ramsey who is a New York Times best-selling author.
15. Read a book about somebody great - I've read several things about Dave Ramsey, the guy is pretty great!
16. Surf a wave - Nope, didn't try.
17. Mix a tropical fruit inspired cocktail - I'm pretty sure I did this one using some kind of guava juice but I don't remember exactly what the drink was
18. Win a medal in a jiu-jitsu competition - Nope, I didn't compete this past year
19. Set a personal record in this year's Great Aloha Run - Nope, I injured my ankle a few months before the race and wasn't able to train at all. Although I am shooting for a personal record this year.
20. Go star gazing, find the Southern Cross or some other constellation - Yep, did this one on Kauai where the sky is nice and dark
21. Win a jiu-jitsu match in competition by submission - Didn't compete...
22. Write for a magazine or newspaper - Still in the works...so another unaccomplished goal
23. Do an obstacle run (Warrior Dash, Spartan Race, or similar) for time - Did not do this
24. See a 20+ foot wave - I missed the big wave days at the beach. I did see a line of kids get mowed down by some 12-footers though, that was pretty funny.
25. Eat pancakes from Boots and Kimo - Check, I ate them and they are very much overrated.
26. Cook a seafood dish - I did not do this.
27. Read a book by William Faulkner - I was too busy reading other things, so no.
28. Read a book of poetry by Billy Collins - I read some of his work, it's really good even if you're not into poetry. He doesn't use overly artsy language, it's pretty easy to follow.
29. Decorate my place with at least 3 pieces of art - I have a photo of a Van Gogh, a map of Middle Earth, and a poster of a zombie riddled with bullet holes (it was a target from a gun range), a piece of Hawaiian art, and a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge decorating my place. 
30. Read a grammar handbook - Did not do these thing...can't ya tell?
31. Draft Hunters 2 - It is in the works

What's One Thing You're Proud Of?

Writing an ebook. I spent almost 3 years writing, editting, erasing, re-writing, and researching that book. What I'm most proud of is actually meeting the deadline I set for myself. I wanted to publish the book before I turned 30 and I published it online through Smashwords a few weeks before I turned 30.

Writing a book was both fun and grueling. Creating the story and getting into the heads of my characters was really fun. Making sure all the events in the story were aligned with the central theme was also fun. Even crafting it in a way so that it can be a simple fun read or a critical read if you want to dig into it was pretty enjoyable. What was grueling was the editting. Making sure everything was written in the proper tense was tough, and I'm sure there are still plenty of errors I missed. I found a ton of typos too. I had to keep reminding myself that there's a difference between a good compositional writer and a good creative writer. I'm definitely on the creative side.

The book is called Hunters: Rising. It's the first in the Hunters series and is available to download here. The second book is in the making. I'm also playing around with a revision of the first book.

What Do People Thank Me For?

Holding the door open. I hear 'thank you' a lot for that. Giving a good effort when sparring. That's a cool one I get during jiu-jitsu training. We'll go at it trying to rip each other's limbs off or choke each other into unconsciousness and when time is up we thank each other for it. Sort of a reminder that we're actually helping each other get better and not actually trying hurt each other. Let's see, what else...

I get thanked by co-workers when helping them write a document, correspondence letter, or email. I've been thanked by friends for helping them write resumes. I've been thanked by family memebers for gifts. I've been thanked by friends for sending them chocolates from my family's shop. I've been thanked by my family for gathering honest customer feedback about their shop.

Hmm...what else. I've been thanked for sharing workout routines. I've been thanked for sharing running tips, teaching people how to swim, and for organizing outings with friends. I've also been thanked for saying thank you. This one probably happens most often because of the office environment I work in. It's courteous to say 'thank you' after each interaction and the most common reply is another 'thank you'. Funny how that works.

What Really Makes Me Angry About the World

All righty, I'm doing a blog challenge where I'm given some topics to write about. This is the first one. What makes me angry about the world? Tough for me to answer becuase I'm not an angry person. I guess what gets me is lack of grip strength. It sucks. I'll be lifting weights at the gym and my grip will tire out before the rest of me gets tired. It's especially irritating when going from deadlifts to bent-over barbell rows. My grip is so burned out after deadlifting that there's no gas left in my fingers or forearms to even hold onto the bar anymore. I can barely do a barbell row. And then pullups?? Forget that! I'd probably flop to the floor if I even tried. How am I supposed to get a stronger back when I struggle to hold what should be a light weight? And how am I supposed to have a firm handshake when I can barely squeeze a ripe avocado? Lack of grip strength...it's a curse.

Vacation on a Budget

Some of you may have picked up that I recently went on two trips. One to Kauai and another to Las Vegas. Only a few of you know that I am working to get out of debt by living on a budget and cutting things out of my lifestyle. Now there's probably a question in your head. How did you manage to go on two trips within the span of one month while on a budget?

Good question, I'll explain.

The first trip to Kauai was for a friend's wedding. As soon as the wedding was announced I immediately adjusted my budget to save up for it. That's the short answer. What I really did was figure out how much it would cost me to go and do the things I wanted to do there. Now for me, traveling from Oahu to Kauai isn't too difficult because my family lives there. No need for a hotel, no need to rent a car. Makes things a little easier. I do have to get there though so I went online and found how much the flight would cost. Luckily, I discovered I had enough reward points (aka Hawaiian Miles) to get some complimentary plane tickets. So far it would cost $0. A great start!

I'm not going to Kauai and sit around for a couple days, especially since it was my girlfriend's first time to the island. We gotta get out and see the island, do some things, eat some food, and all that good stuff. I thought of some things we could do: go to the beach, ride a zip line, snorkel, hike, go on a boat tour, maybe a helicopter tour. I found out how much those things cost and immediately ruled out boat and helicopter tours (really expensive...and I get seasick). I really wanted to do a zip line although it was a little pricey but I included it in the plan anyway. The other things are pretty cheap so that wasn't a problem. Then I budgeted for food. I thought of a few places we could eat and figured how much it would cost. About $25 at one place, $30 at another, and so on. I added everything up and figured it would cost about $350 to do everything, which includes getting a wedding gift.

There was 6 months until the wedding, I would need to save about $59 a month. Not bad, right? Then I looked at my monthly budget. There was no room for $59. I can't neglect feeding myself, paying bills, and paying down my debt. A quick note here, saving for vacation does not come before paying down debt. So what did I do? I spent less on groceries, I spent less on fun things like movies and happy hour, and I decided not to put money away to get new clothes and shoes later on. Sounds like I cut back a lot, but my budget is really tight and I was only able to free up $40 a month. Not enough to do everything I wanted to do, so I had to take zip lining out of the plan. I stuck to my budget and took $240 with me to Kauai. It was enough to go to a few beaches, get a wedding gift, and eat out without worrying about the bill. It was an awesome trip.

Now with my budget being so tight you may be asking something. How did you have any $$ to go to Vegas just a few weeks later?

Excellent question, and the honest answer is a bit of a cheat because I didn't have any money. What I do have is a wonderful girlfriend who paid for most of it. She got some very good deals that made the trip really cheap and she wanted me to go with her. Who am I to say no? I still had to bring some money for myself so here's what I did. Any time there was money left at the of the month, it got saved for Vegas. After the Kauai trip I adjusted my monthly budget so that everything I was saving for Kauai now went toward Vegas. What I usually budget for entertainment all went toward Vegas. I also managed to lower my car insurance bill and put the difference toward Vegas. In all I scraped up $300 for Vegas. I used it to buy gifts, gamble, and eat a few things. Again, note that I didn't pay any less toward my debt during this time.

In a nutshell, I was only able to go on two trips because of support from my family and girlfriend. They're really awesome like that and I'm very grateful for them. Now there may be another question in your head. That's really great for you but why does that matter to me?

Good question, here's the point. You see, I didn't ask for their help but they all know I live on a budget and they support me for it. That made them more inclined to help me out. When you stick to something and the people around you support you, they will offer their help. Whether you live by a certain principle or you're working toward achieving a goal, let people know. Those who care will naturally want to help you out.

Is it Personal, or Finance?

A couple weeks ago I asked a question: Consider the phrase "personal finance," what part is more important, the "personal" part or the "finance" part?

There were no responses, probably because I posted the question on Mother's Day, but I thought about it a lot and decided to write a quick blog to share my thoughts. To me, the "personal" part is more important. It's the first word you read and you usually put your best foot forward. But more so because taking control of your finances gets personal. It forces you to realistically look at how you handle your money. Do you overspend on clothes? Gym memberships? Beer? Restaurants? Movie tickets? Do you underspend on savings? Investments? College funds? It forces you to get real with your spending habits and behavior.

Then comes the part where you realize what needs to be different in order to get to a better place, financially speaking. And really, when you think about it, changing your spending habits means changing what you do. I mean, if you decide to spend less money at the bar then you're probably not going to the bar as much.

Behind all that, the "finance" part feels secondary. It deals with your money, your income, and outgo (aka spending), which is important but it's guided by how you handle it. How much do you bring in and how much you let go out. It's easier to pay more attention to the 'finance' part because it's easy to measure. All you have to do is see how much is left in the bank. It's much harder to measure if what was spent was spent wisely and well. That's the "personal" part. And it controls everything.

5 Day Veg - Motivations

Ok, so what made me want to try this diet? It all started with the documentary Forks Over Knives. The film documented the benefits of a plant based diet and highlighted some downfalls of a diet that has a high meat intake, which was dubbed a “western diet.” What got my attention the most was a chart showing the results of a study which surveyed the rate of heart disease in relation to the amount of meat consumed across several countries. The study showed a pretty convincing correlation. Countries that consume a lot of meat, like the US and Russia, have high rates of heart disease among their population. Countries with low meat consumption have low rates of heart disease. This caught my attention because my family has a history of heart disease, and we eat a lot of meat.

I used to make it a point to have a source of protein in every meal. And by protein I mean animal product of some sort. An egg at breakfast, turkey or chicken at lunch, beef or chicken at dinner. Add on top of that a bunch of cheese and my meals consisted of mostly animals. It wasn't very balanced, and I've been learning it's also not very healthy...at all.

Something I learned from Forks Over Knives, which I actually knew all along, is that there are other good sources of protein like beans, nuts, and seeds. So why not swap out meat for beans every now and then?

Another convincing story from Forks Over Knives was the remission of cancers and diseases when people changed from a western diet to a plant-based diet. The theory is that the human body naturally wants to heal itself, it just need the proper nutrients to do so. Therefore, eliminate the animal products, which are typically low in nutrients but high in calories, and introduce a variety of plant foods and whole grains which are high in nutrients and low in calories. Overall, the people studied lost weight, normalized their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and were taken off of all their prescription medications used to treat those things. And it went beyond that. One story that stood out was of an older woman who was given 3 months to live due to cancer and she was put on a plant-based diet and lived for several more years. The cancer went away. No surgery, no chemo therapy. Food saved her life in a matter of months.

So what to do now? Drop everything and become a vegan? The film was painting a picture that meat is bad. It was saying that any food product derived from an animal is bad. I don't believe that though.

People have been eating meat throughout history. It's a natural thing. But then after thinking about it a while, I doubt the meat we eat today is anything like the meat our ancestors ate. Back in the hunter-gatherer days animals were hunted or trapped. And hunts couldn't have been successful all the time. Take a cheetah for example, they are the most efficient hunter of the big cats and their success rate is about 50%. I doubt a human without a gun could match that. My point is that meat couldn't have been abundant throughout the majority of human evolution. It would have been scarce. Also, it was wild meat. Nowadays meat is farmed as livestock and processed from birth to sale. It's just not the same today in quality and quantity. But still, I don't think it's unnatural to eat meat. I just think we're eating too much.

Ok now what? I learned how beneficial a plant-based diet is and how detrimental the western diet is but I don't believe cutting out meat altogether is necessary. It's so conflicting...

Then I came across a TED Talk given by somebody in my exact position. He loves eating meat, doesn't think it's bad when consumed in moderation, but wants to reap the benefits of a plant-based diet. He came up with the 5-Day Veg idea. He didn't eat any animal products for 5 days of the week, and went back to his regular western-diet for the other 2 days. He lost weight, his blood pressure and cholesterol levels improved and he generally felt better. I had found something I was willing to try.

 

That's the path that brought me to this 5-Day Veg diet. My goal is to increase the amount and variety of nutrients I eat and lower my meat consumption. I'm hoping that doing a 5-Day Veg diet for a short period of time will have a long-term impact on the way I eat...in a positive way, of course.

Non-Existent Credit Score: Good or Bad?

A little over a week ago I posted a question: Why would it be beneficial or detrimental to have a non-existent credit score? Only a few replied with responses like 'no credit is better than bad credit.' Another response was 'it's not beneficial' while another person put it very simply that 'without a credit score you can't borrow but you don't have any debt.' All are good responses. Now it's my turn. Here's my take.

I've recently finished taking an online course on personal finance and learned a little bit about credit, debt, basic investing, and personal budgeting. One of the more surprising things I learned was about credit scores, how they're calculated and what they mean. Basically, a credit score is a measurement of different factors to predict how risky it would be to loan you money. In other words, lenders want to know if you're given money you'll pay it back. Some of those factors include how much debt you have, how long you've had it, if you've been looking to get any new loans recently, and how reliably you make your payments.

 

There's one common factor in these things: debt. The better you are at managing debt, the more likely you'll be able to get loans...and more debt.

 

Now if you have zero debt, you won't have a credit score. It just can't be calculated. Some lenders won't give you a loan without a score, but theoretically, if you don't have any debt you should be able to save up your money to buy what you want. You won't need a loan for pretty much anything less than a house. It'll take a little time but you could save up enough money to buy a car, go on vacation, get whatever toys you like a lot quicker if you have no debt. No loan needed, no credit score needed.

 

But what about that house? How do you get a mortgage without a credit score? Most banks won't because they've grown so used to using a credit score. But credit scores haven't been around forever. They've only been around for maybe 40-50 years and people have been taking out mortgage loans way longer than that. You just need to find a bank that will do a no-credit loan and they'll determine your risk through a process called manual underwriting. Basically, the lender looks into your financial situation, your income, and so on to determine your level of risk.

 

Ok so credit scores really aren't needed. The score just makes applying for loans more convenient. After learning those things and tumbling it around in my head for a while, I now fall on the side that a non-existent credit score is more beneficial than detrimental. For one, I'll have no debt. No bills outside of living necessities and I'll get to keep a good portion of the money I earn. And keeping my money sounds more appealing than sending it away every month.

 

The downside to not having a credit score? You won't be able to borrow money or buy services that rely on credit checks as easily. But the way I figure, if I have to purchase something that relies on a credit check (like cable TV, or renting an apartment) I'll have some negotiating power because I could make a real cash offer. Tell me I can't buy cable when waving $800 in front of your face and I say you're an idiot. As for borrowing money, I'd just have to look around for a bank that isn't lazy.

All in all, I don't put much stock into credit scores anymore because they're directly related to debt. My goal is to get out of debt and get to a point where I won't need a loan. I mean, rich people don't carry debt or worry about credit scores. Maybe if I act like a rich person does, one day I'll be one too.

5 Day Veg - An Update

Last week I stared longingly at a malasada.

Last weekend I struggled to not gorge on meat and cakes.

Last Monday, I salivated over the thought of beef jerky.

Last night I ordered a veggie burger for the very first time. It was so difficult I could barely get the words out.

I hope I last...

Veg Diet - 1 Week In

Ok so far this diet is not fun. It's been a struggle to cut meat, dairy, meat, butter, and meat out of my diet. I've mostly been eating salads, veggie tacos, pasta, and fruits. I was concerned that cutting meat out of meals would leave me starving but I haven't been overly hungry. But I don't really feel all that satisfied either. After a large salad or a few veggie tacos I won't feel full but I just feel tired of eating. I wonder if that's what it's like to be “content” after a meal?

It's not like eating veggies itself has been rough, it's more like I just miss eating meat. Kind of like how you might miss going on a daily run, or miss solving a morning crossword puzzle. There aren't any cravings for it, it's just that meals aren't the same.

There were a few challenges in the week. First was the snack table at work. Several bags of chips appeared along with a bag of fun-sized strawberry flavored 3-Musketeers. They looked really good. But when I checked the ingredients the chips contained cheese and the 3-Musketeers contained butter. Both were not part of the veg diet.

Next was the pizza somebody at work brought for lunch. It smelled so good. I caught myself basking in the aroma of it as I slowly walked by. It was pepperoni and cheese. So good...

Then Friday came, which was Valentines Day. Somebody brought in ice cream to work and set up an ice cream bar. Dairy, couldn't have any of it. Then the poi malasadas showed up (I love those things) with banana cream pie and some kind of blueberry cream pie. All likely made with butter. Had to pass on all of them. So I stayed at my desk and snacked on almonds. Just one more day and I can have some of that...

I slipped up at Starbucks. Feeling hungry from a long day at work I browsed for a sandwich to eat. All of them had meat except for the spinach, tomato, pesto, and mozzarella. I got it, ate it, then later realized I ate cheese. Dang it! Gotta remember all animal products are off limits Monday-Friday.

Real quick, thanks to those who sent words of encouragement and veggie recipes. I'll be trying some of them out in the coming week.

5-Day Veg Diet - Giving it a Shot

In my never-ending quest to be healthier I've recently learned about the overwhelming health benefits to having a plant-based diet. Plant-based? Is that like some kind of vegan thing? Yep! Basically, eat plants, fruits, whole grains, and avoid anything that comes from an animal. That means no meat, no dairy, none of the things that I really enjoy eating and taste really good. Man, that sounds rough...

Being honest with myself there's no way I could have a completely plant-based diet. I love pizza and steak too much to give it up. Then I heard about this 5-Day Veg thing. Maintain a plant-based eating routine for 5 days of the week and eat like normal the other 2 days. Okay that doesn't sound as bad. I can give this one a shot. But still, it's gonna be rough...

It began last Wednesday, and I'll be honest I felt sad on Tuesday night while chopping up a salad for lunch the next day. Never thought I'd miss a turkey sandwich so much. But my greatest challenge was yet to come: dinner.

What do I eat at night? Another salad? I don't think so! I had to surf online for some veggie dishes that were within my skill to prepare. I ended up cooking a mix of potatoes, kale, garlic, onions, and quinoa served over brown rice. Sounds disgustingly healthy. It tastes not too bad after using some seasonings. It's tolerable. I guess...

The plan is to try this 5-Day Veg thing for one month. Plant-based eating Monday through Friday, and go back to my normal diet on the weekends. I'm curious to see what changes come out of it. If my weight changes, my attitude toward eating changes, my ability to cook, energy levels. I'm even curious to see how it affects my budget. I'll be blogging about all of these and more over the next month. Please follow along, I'll need the help and encouragement.

31-By-31 New Year Update

Happy New Year everybody! Yeah, it's a few weeks gone by already but better late than never. Figured I'd make the first blog of the new year about the goals I set for myself and how I'm doing on them. Oh, and I changed one of the goals too. So much to do...

1. Get my book, Hunters - Rising, published in print. Currently it's a free ebook available here I've determined that I do not want to self-publish to get it in print. That means doing it the old fashioned way and sending it off to publishers and/or agents. However, I will need to finish goal #3 before I can get started on this one.
2. ePublish another book. Not necessarily Hunters 2 (although it would be awesome if I finish it that quickly) but any book. I got something in mind that will probably take a month or two to put together. Just need to get started...
3. Enhance my book, Hunters - Rising. It's been edited by a couple people (really appreciate it!) and I'm currently working on a few more things. I want to add more depth and background to the characters and I'm drawing a map.
4. Donate to charity...on my own, not through work - I'm thinking something related to education, medicine, or Wounded Warriors.
5. Get involved with a group, whether it be online or in person - I was recently invited to join the BJJ Life Blog Team. I've submitted my first blog to them and am waiting for it to be edited and published online
6. Contribute to Wikipedia - What can I add to it...should I be serious or satirical??
7. Adopt a tsunami siren - Gotta get on this one
8. Read “Aspects of a Novel” by E.M. Forster. It's a book recommended by James Franco, yes the same James Franco from the movies. He recommended it on a radio show I heard.
9. Create and print a business card for myself - Gotta get on this one
10. Teach somebody a skill - I've taught a few jiu-jitsu techniques but what I really have in mind here is teaching my girlfriend how to swim.
11. Volunteer. On my own, not through work - Gotta get on this one too
12. Drink something from the top shelf (hey, it wouldn't be me if there wasn't a liquor related goal would it?) - I had a shot of some fancy tequila with my brother a couple months ago. Forgot what the label was though...
13. Read a classic - Ok I'm changing this goal. New goal is: Live each month on a budget. Yep, it's time to get my money handling under control, pay down debt, and save up for that whole “life” thing I keep hearing about.
14. Read an author recommended book. It'd be interesting to see what my favorite authors read.
15. Read a book about somebody great. Biography, autobiography...either works
16. Surf a wave - There was a super swell this past week with waves reported at 50 feet. Yeah, I'll wait until they settle down to 1-2 feet, living is preferable.
17. Mix a tropical fruit inspired cocktail (hey, another liquor-related goal!) - Gotta get on this one
18. Win a medal in a jiu-jitsu competition - I haven't entered any competitions yet.
19. Set a personal record in this year's Great Aloha Run - Ok this one is definitely not happening. I injured my ankle a month ago and currently I'm getting over a flu. Haven't been able to train at all.
20. Go star gazing, find the Southern Cross or some other constellation - Gotta do this one
21. Win a jiu-jitsu match in competition by submission - No competitions yet.
22. Write for a magazine or newspaper - Gotta get on this
23. Do an obstacle run (Warrior Dash, Spartan Race, or similar) for time. The prices of these things keeps increasing but it would still be fun.
24. See a 20+ foot wave. As mentioned earlier, there was a super swell this past week with 50 foot waves. But I had the flu and couldn't leave home. Hopefully there will be another swell soon.
25. Eat pancakes from Boots and Kimo - A friend told me a good time to go is in the afternoon around 2pm. I have the plan, just need to execute.
26. Cook a seafood dish - I have to enjoy it too. Right now, I'm leaning toward some kind of fish.
27. Read a book by William Faulkner - Need to request something from the library.
28. Read a book of poetry by Billy Collins - Also need to request this from the library.
29. Decorate my place with at least 3 pieces of art - I have a photo of a Van Gogh, a map of Middle Earth, and a poster of a zombie riddled with bullet holes (it was a target from a gun range) on the walls. More to come.
30. Read a grammar handbook - I have the handbook, just need to open it...
31. Draft Hunters 2 - Working on it. Currently on chapter 2.

31-by-31

Last year I had a 30-by-30 list of goals which got me moving and doing new things (check out how I did here). I'm continuing it this year with a 31-by-31. It's 31 things to accomplish by the time I turn 31 years old. The list is different, and so is the timeframe. Last year I made the 30-by-30 list about 4 and a half months before my 30th birthday. Not a whole lot of time. This time I'm giving myself a whole year.

1. Get my book, Hunters - Rising, published in print. Currently it's a free ebook available here
2. ePublish another book. Not necessarily Hunters 2 (although it would be awesome if I finish it that quickly) but any book.
3. Enhance my book, Hunters - Rising. I know there's quite a few edits to be made regarding spelling, grammar, etc. I may want to add some more content to expand more on the characters. But mostly I want to add some visuals like pics of characters, monsters, and most importantly a map of Arlynd.
4. Donate to charity...on my own, not through work
5. Get involved with a group, whether it be online or in person.
6. Contribute to Wikipedia
7. Adopt a tsunami siren
8. Read “Aspects of a Novel” by E.M. Forster. It's a book recommended by James Franco, yes the same James Franco from the movies. He recommended it on a radio show I heard.
9. Create and print a business card for myself
10. Teach somebody a skill
11. Volunteer. On my own, not through work
12. Drink something from the top shelf (hey, it wouldn't be me if there wasn't a liquor related goal would it?)
13. Read a classic (Moby Dick, Mark Twain, Shakespeare, and the like)
14. Read an author recommended book. It'd be interesting to see what my favorite authors read.
15. Read a book about somebody great. Biography, autobiography...either works
16. Surf a wave. I've tried...and failed...many times...I think I should try again
17. Mix a tropical fruit inspired cocktail (hey, another liquor-related goal!)
18. Win a medal in a jiu-jitsu competition
19. Set a personal record in this year's Great Aloha Run
20. Go star gazing, find the Southern Cross or some other constellation
21. Win a jiu-jitsu match in competition by submission
22. Write for a magazine or newspaper
23. Do an obstacle run (Warrior Dash, Spartan Race, or similar) for time. Preferably I'd like to have a friendly race against somebody...maybe there could be a wager to make it interesting
24. See a 20+ foot wave. I know this was on my previous list but the waves didn't get big before my birthday and I still want to see it
25. Eat pancakes from Boots and Kimo. I've been hearing about this place for years but have never been there...the line is always ridiculously long. I figure it's time to finally see what it's all about.
26. Cook a seafood dish. For those who don't know, I'm not a fan of seafood so accomplishing this goal will require me to expand my horizons a bit.
27. Read a book by William Faulkner. This guy gets mentioned a lot, figure I should give him a look.
28. Read a book of poetry by Billy Collins. Heard him on a radio show, sounds pretty interesting and worth a look. I don't read enough poetry anyway...that's probably true for most of us.
29. Decorate my place with at least 3 pieces of art. I'm surrounded by white walls...the place could be livened up a bit
30. Read a grammar handbook. Yes, I'm well aware that I'm a C- at best when it comes to grammar
31. Draft Hunters 2. Those who read the first know there's a 2^nd coming ;)

30 by 30 - How'd I do?

In a word...eh

 

I didn't get to everything on the list but it was fun trying to. Considering I had about 4 months to get everything done, I think I did all right. Here's how it went:

1. Publish my book - Did it! It's an eBook published through Smashwords. I haven't posted about it on Facebook or blogged about it yet because I noticed some bugs with the file and I'm in the process of correcting them. I want it to look nice before telling everybody about it. But happy to say that as of now it has been downloaded over 100 times.

The cover of my book

2. Win a jiu-jitsu match in competition - No go. There weren't any competitions I could enter since I made this list. But!! It just so happens that there is a competition this Saturday (10/19/2013) that I am entering.

3. Shoot a desert eagle…the gun, not a bird - did it, it was awesome!

4. Go rock climbing - Check! My good friend Biggs took me rock climbing by Lake Tahoe. It was a lot of fun...kinda scary, but fun. Now it's time to see if I can find a way to go climbing here in Hawaii.

5. See a professional sports game - No go here. No professional sports games were hosted in Hawaii since I made this list and I didn't come across any during my trip to Cali.

6. Watch a meteor shower - Yep! I caught the Leonids, saw one meteor. Note to self: An off shore hurricane does not foster good star-gazing weather.

Shooting a Desert Eagle. Watch the video

7. See a 20+ foot wave - No go, haven't had a large swell since making this list. Or at least I didn't hear about any.

8. Go to a concert…with a good band playing - Check! I caught Coheed and Cambria! Good show. Check out a video clip

9. Be part of a triathlon relay team - No go. I didn't get myself into the triathlon loop with my triathlete friends in time.

10. Play Hotel California all the way through…the acoustic version…on the guitar - Playing this song in its entirety continues to elude me. I'll keep working at it though.

11. Win a Texas Holdem poker tournament - No go. But I did place in the top 10 in two tournaments. Top ten out of how many people, you ask? That's beside the point...

12. Complete a Tough Mudder - No Tough Mudders. It hasn't come to Hawaii yet and I didn't have a way to do one on the mainland. I did complete a Spartan Race though if that's any consolation.

13. Shoot a medieval style longbow - No go. I found some archery ranges but didn't find the time to go check them out.

14. See a great-white shark…preferably from inside a steel cage - Nope. I looked into it, I was in Cali at the right time to cage dive in the bay area or near San Diego, but the cost was near $1000. Yeah...never mind on that one.

15. Swim with a turtle...again - I made it to the beach a few times. Even saw a few turtles from the beach but I wasn't able to actually swim with one.

16. Cliff dive - Not yet. I learned of some good spots to go but didn't make it out to any of them. Although I intend to check them out still.
 

17. Begin writing my second book - Check! I started on the prologue and outlining chapter 1.

18. Dip my fingers in the chocolate business - Kinda but not really. It may still yet happen though.

19. Bake a cake…I wonder if I can make it with whiskey...yeah, whiskey cake!! - Did it! And it was rather tasty!

20. Hike olomana…all 3 peaks - Check! It was a great hike. Check out my Olomana Blog

21. Scuba dive - Nope. I learned of a few places I could dive without being certified but didn't make the time to go.

Whiskey Cake

22. Start a bon fire - Nope, didn't have an occasion or a crowd to do this.

23. Draw a gracie triangle in my facial stubble - Attempted (a few times) but failed. I tried a couple times but I can't draw for beans on paper, it's much harder on stubble. It just looked like a hairy patch.
 

24. Jump out of a plane…and land safely - Nope. There are several places to go sky diving here but didn't make the time to check any out.

25. Earn some $$ by writing - Nope. If you're wondering why not since I've published a book, it's because my book is free. The side gigs I've tried to do never panned out.



Whiskey Mint drink. It's a tasty one!

26. Create a video that gets 1000+ hits on YouTube - I've gotten several hundred hits, but haven't hit the 1000 mark.
 

27. Mix a whiskey mint cocktail…that tastes awesome - Check! Ginger Ale, whiskey, and fresh mint leaves. It was good!
 

28. Ride a Harley across a desert - Nope. No desert, no Harley. It's a cool thought though.

30.  Participate in Run for your Lives...as a Zombie! Check! It was fun so much fun being a zombie and scaring the hell outta people.

I learned that 4 months just wasn't enough time to get to everything. But I also learned that having this list got me up and going places and doing things, whether I could check an item off the list or not. There was more hiking, more trips to the beach, more exploring new things, trying new activities, feeling fear rush through me and overcoming it, and more whiskey sipping.

I was able to check off one third of the things on the list. Not too shabby, I think. Let's see how I do on the next one. Coming soon: 31-by-31!

Spartan Race

SPARTANS!! What is your profession!!

Well it wasn't quite that amped up but it was still pretty fun. The Spartan Race made it to Hawaii for the first time. For those who may not know, the Spartan Race is a 5k run with a little over 20 obstacles along the way. It sounded awesome so some friends and I signed up as soon as registration opened. We had months to train for it and condition our bodies to conquer each obstacle. So naturally, we took it easy, got lazy, didn't train, and some even forgot about the race altogether and needed to be reminded. Good thing our plan was to take it easy!

Sheri, Jen, Myself, and Sterling. Game-faces!

The Course & Obstacles

The course wound through beautiful Kualoa Ranch. For those familiar with the Xterra run, it's the same area. It's tucked within a lush valley right next to a pristine beach, it's about as scenic of a running venue you could ever have. We started at a steady jog and soon came to the first obstacle: Over-Under-Over. Hop over a 4 foot wall, crawl under a 2 foot barrier, then over a 4 foot wall again. Simple right? It was. Next we trudged through a steady stream. The water came up to my chest. The course wasted no time getting us soaked.

The next obstacle was climbing over a 5 foot wall. No problem for me but my friend Sheri, who is about five feet tall, had some issues. She forgot to jump and basically ran into the wall. On her second attempt she remembered to jump and made it over with no embarrassing collisions.

We jogged through some jungle terrain for a while and came to the net climb. It wasn't your typical cargo net, it was made of thinner material. I had to be a little more mindful of where I put my feet and made it up no problem.

Then we had to climb up a 6 foot wall. A bit harder this time. I couldn't simply hop up and over but had to pull myself up high enough to swing my leg over. Sheri and Jen got a boost from Sterling, who being 6'4 or something like that became the designated boost-guy.

Next we came to a 7 foot wall...hmm, I'm noticing a pattern here. This one was hard. Sterling boosted Jen and Sheri over. I wanted to try it on my own but Sterling was there to spot me if needed. I got a running start, jumped, and pulled my elbows over the top of the wall. Then I sort of wormed my way up the wall until I could bring my foot up to the lip. I swung myself up and over only to realize I had flung myself into a 7 foot drop. My weight was a little too far forward and when I hit the ground I damn near rolled forward as a result of the impact but instead I stumbled with my arms out in front of me like a klutz. I managed not to fall but I think rolling would've been a less stressful way to deal with the landing...it would've looked cooler too.

We continued along the course at a brisk walking pace joking about how the obstacles just seem to be walls that get progressively higher. So what could the next obstacle be? An 8 foot wall? Yep, that's exactly right! Ok, this one was a challenge. With a running start I jumped, reached, and managed to get my elbows over the lip of the wall. Just like the last wall, I wormed my way up until I could swing my leg up. However instead of just flinging myself over I sat on top of the wall first, steadily got my other leg up and over, and lowered myself down the other side facing the wall. It was a much gentler way to get myself down.

Sterling got over the wall with the help of a fellow Spartan Racer. The two of us then went back to help boost Jen and Sheri over. Sterling provided a foothold while I lifted them up so they could reach the lip. They got up and over no problem, now that's freakin teamwork!

Eventually we came to the tire pull, which was pretty cool. Pick up a tire, which is tied to a stake in the ground, carry it until the rope is taught, then go back and use the rope to pull the tire back. Another cool obstacle was the transverse wall climb. Instead of going up and over, you scale along the side of the wall like a ninja. Wood pegs provide small hand and footholds. For me, the key to this one was to keep calm, spot where your foot was going to land, and move at your own pace. Don't rush or stall, keep moving but move at your own rate. I watched several people try to go too fast and slip off the wall while others stalled out and fell because their grips fatigued.

There were a few obstacles that were just loops. Drag some concrete blocks in a loop. Carry a bag of sand in a loop. Carry a concrete block from point A to point B then back to point A. These obstacles weren't all that fun. It's just going in a loop. You don't get anywhere or progress along the course so meh.

Crawling under barbed wire wasn't fun either, which is what several obstacle had us do. For starters, the wires sag a lot so we had to lift them up in order to get under them without getting snagged. Then the ground is made to be wet and muddy which slows things down and we always got jammed up. But the worst part is that the ground is really rocky and we got all scraped and cut up, which didn't feel too great because each cut was instantly filled with mud.

Towards the end of the race we came to one of the most challenging obstacles of the day: a muddy rope climb. Picture a large pit filled with about 4 feet of muddy water with 9 ropes hanging into it. At the top of each rope is a bell you have to ring to signal success. We watched person after person climb, slip, and splash down in the muddy pit. A few made it to the top. The crowd would rally behind those who got close to the top but stalled out just barely out of reach of the bell. Some were able to make the final surge to the bell while some valiantly tried but came up short.



The rope climb. I climbed the rope on the far right

I closely watched those who made it to the bell and noticed they utilized their legs a lot for the climb. Those who couldn't quite get their legs in place slipped. All the mud was making the ropes slick and hand grip alone didn't seem to be enough to hang on.

Ok, having noted that it was my turn. Before I started to climb I fished around in the muddy water with my leg to find the bottom part of the rope. I got my legs around it then began to climb. Surprisingly, the rope wasn't as slippery as I thought it would be and I pulled my self up. The knots in the rope provided good footholds too. I got to the section where there wasn't much mud on the rope and thought I was golden. There should be enough grip to pull with my arms alone. I was wrong. The rope was actually slicker, what the heck! I slid down a few inches and had to catch myself before I slid all the way. Ok, gut-check time. Figure out a way to make it to the bell or slide back down. I made it pretty high, no shame in backing out and sliding back down right? Nah, I wanted to get to that bell!

There were no more knots for me to utilize in the top section of the rope so it would be a bit tricky to climb the last couple of feet. I remembered about how other people used their legs so I gripped tight with my hands, squeezed with my legs, and wormed my way up. The legs gave the extra grip I needed. I got up a little bit and felt that was as far as I could go. I looked up to see how far away the bell was and to my surprise it was right there in front of me. I reached up, rang it, and carefully slid back down into the mud. A quick note for the guys, when sliding down, don't squeeze too much with your legs because your crotch might slide over a knot. Trust me, it doesn't feel good...

The next obstacle required us to use a rope to scale over a steeply angled wooden wall. It wouldn't be hard at all if it was dry but it was muddy as hell. Several people lost their footing and slid down the wall. One guy fell so hard he twisted his ankle. Ok, this one could be dangerous so mind your footing. I told the others the goal is not to get hurt so if they feel their feet slipping just focus on controlling the fall and slide down easily.

Sterling went first. He scaled the wall to the top but as he reach the lip his feet slipped. He no longer had his hands on the rope but had his fingers over the lip of the wall. He tried but couldn't pull himself up and slid back down. It was just too slippery.

Jen went next. She scaled the rope to the top and a fellow Spartan Racer helped pull her up and over the top. The same guy helped Sheri up and over.

My turn. The rope and wall was slippery as hell but I got to the top. I reached for the lip of the wall expecting to be able to grab onto something and have enough grip to pull myself up the rest of the way but it didn't happen quite like I imagined. All I felt was slippery mud on a flat surface. There was barely anything to grip onto. I almost lost it and slid back down the wall but I still had my other hand on the rope. I dug my fingers into the muddy surface of the wall and strained to use what little rope I had left to pull myself up a little more. I didn't let go of the rope until I got my weight over the top of the wall. I made my way over nice and steady. It was really slick and I knew I wasn't safe from slipping until I was completely over the wall.



The final challenge: Spartans with padded sticks!

The final obstacle involved jumping over a low fire and then running through a gauntlet of “Spartans” wielding padded staffs who try to whack you, ala American Gladiator style, as you run to the finish line. I jumped over the fire and began to charge the Spartans. The first one locked onto me and got ready to swing. I sped up and feinted charging right at him only to stop right as he began his swing. The dude whiffed and lost his balance a little. I got a kick out of that. I casually jogged through the rest of the gauntlet taking gentle whacks from Spartans. I made the last guy miss using the same feint maneuver as the first guy and then easily jogged across the finish. Good run!

Critique and the Crowd

Ok, time to let the inner critic out. Logistically, the event was messed up. We had to park 1.5 miles away from the race event. It wasn't really fun trekking back along a narrow highway when tired and worn out from the race. The event area was really spread out. It took 10 to 15 minutes to walk from one side to the other. They should have done what Xterra does and let us park on the valley floor and consolidate all the tents in one area. There's still enough space to fit everything else.

Kualoa Ranch. Beautiful venue but notice
how spread out everything is.

They had music playing to set the tone of the event, which was cool. The problem was there were two tents playing different music. Then there were Taiko drummers playing too. It was just too many different sounds clashing against each other.

The finisher shirt they gave away is pretty cool except for the ridiculously large “Rebok” printed on it. But even more annoying is that they give you the shirt at the finish line while you're still covered in mud. I don't want to put my muddy hand prints all over a brand new shirt. Couldn't they put them in a plastic bag or let us pick them up after we've cleaned up a bit?

I liked that they had changing tents we could use. Other mud runs I've been to don't offer these so this was a very nice touch.

The beach turned brown by the time we left

The cleaning station was pretty well set up. It was a network of hoses so individuals could wash off after the race. Much better than the community-style wash stations other runs have used. However, it's so crowded and there's so much mud to clean off that the wait is ridiculously long. My friends and I didn't want to wait in that line so we walked to the beach right across the street and jumped in the ocean. It was so relaxing to get in the salt water. It even helped to clean out our cuts. I'm just glad we were one of the first people to do this because it didn't take long for others to catch on and by the time we left the ranch that section of beach was brown from all the mud.

Most of the people we met along the course were friendly and cool. However, there was the occasional runner that believed they really were a Spartan. They wanted to go, go, go and got annoyed at everybody when there was a delay. Here's some of the things we heard:

“No rest, get running!”

“what's wrong, you afraid of a little mud?”
“do you want to live forever?” - seriously, this doesn't make sense
“I feel like I'm stuck in traffic, green means go people!” - I don't know what this guy saw but there weren't any traffic lights along the course.
“I'm pretty sure that's cheating.” a guy said when seeing us help each other through the barbed wire. Hello?? Spartans were all about teamwork. Doesn't he know how a phalanx works??



Victory shot of Sterling

I know some people want to push themselves but they have to realize there are thousands of people participating and only so many people at a time can go through an obstacle. Chill out and run by when the course opens up. And if you really are that serious about blazing through the course, sign up for the very first wave so there won't be anybody in front of you to hold things up.

The event staff was awesome. The guy at the start line had a good speech to amp up the crowd in good Spartan fashion. The volunteers along the way were enthusiastically encouraging. They gave advice on how to get through the obstacles when needed and had their own Spartan like lines to pump us up. Some of them even understood my cheesy comments about getting those pesky Persians. They made the event more enjoyable for sure.

Victory shot of Jen

 

 

 

In The End

 

I had fun cruising through the course. The obstacles were fun and challenging. Just be ready to get covered in mud, there's simply no way around it. I recommend bringing a change of clothes, slippers, and a water bottle for after the race. I also recommend having an awesome group of friends to have fun along the course with. Hopefully the Spartan Race comes back again so we can cruise through it once more. Or maybe I'll get in the first wave and see how fast I can get through the whole thing...we'll see :)

Victory shot of yours truly

30-by-30 Update

I have 2 months minus one day to check off the items on my list. Here's how it's going so far

1. Publish my book - Not yet, still doing some editing but I've found a place where I can publish it as an ebook at any time and even set my own price. I feel good that this will be done by my Bday.

2. Win a jiu-jitsu match in competition - Nope, and it likely won't happen mainly because the tournament I want to enter is a couple week after my birthday.

3. Shoot a desert eagle…the gun, not a bird - Check! Such a cool gun to fire. See it on my YouTube channel: D. Eagle

4. Go rock climbing - Not yet but in late September I'll be on the mainland and, weather permitting, I'll be rock climbing with my buddy Biggs.

5. See a professional sports game - I forgot this was on the list...not many professional sports come to Hawaii so this one's kind of tough...probably why I forgot about it

6. Watch a meteor shower - Check! Last Sunday was the peak of the Perseid Meteor shower. I almost didn't see anything because it was cloudy but patience paid off with a meteor that streaked across half the sky.

7. See a 20+ foot wave - Not yet, the waves should be getting big in the next month or so.

8. Go to a concert…with a good band playing - Check! I watched Coheed & Cambria. I hope they come back again! Check out my YouTube to see a couple shaky clips of Claudio's awesome hair with crappy sound quality :) Number City and A Favor House Atlantic

9. Be part of a triathlon relay team - Nope. Haven't been keeping my eye on triathlons that are going on. I'm not really in triathlon shape either at the moment.

10. Play Hotel California all the way through…the acoustic version…on the guitar - Working on it. I've been practicing and need to practice more. I'll get it though!

11. Win a Texas Holdem poker tournament - Nope. I've played in a few poker tournaments but didn't come out on top. I'm not sure how many more I'll get to play in from now until my birthday but I may get another chance.

12. Complete a Tough Mudder - Nope. It hasn't come to Hawaii yet despite of years of rumor. I'll be in a Spartan Race this weekend though, it's pretty similar.

13. Shoot a medieval style longbow - Not yet. I need to look into archery ranges around here and hope somebody has a traditional bow I can shoot.

14. See a great-white shark…preferably from inside a steel cage - Not gonna happen. I'll be in California at the perfect time of year to do this but it costs about $1000...can't scrape that together.

15. Swim with a turtle...again - Will do. Anybody want to go to Hanauma Bay?

16. Cliff dive - Not yet. I can venture to Waialua Falls or discover another spot to safely jump.

17. Begin writing my second book - technically not yet. I've began outlining the beginning but haven't started actually writing it yet. Focusing more on finishing the first book.

18. Dip my fingers in the chocolate business - Other than sending the occasional customer to Kauai, I haven't done this one. In the long term, this goal along with goals #1 and #17 are the most important. Even if I don't get it by my birthday it's still going to remain a goal.

19. Bake a cake…I wonder if I can make it with whiskey...yeah, whiskey cake!! - Not yet, I need to research a recipe. Does anybody have one?

20. Hike olomana…all 3 peaks - Check! Awesome hike with a few risky spots. Check out my blog about it: Olomana

21. Scuba dive - Forgot about this one. There has to be someplace around here that will let me dive without being certified...

22. Start a bon fire - Nope. Need a place, an occasion, and a good group of people...and a bunch of junk to burn. Are bon fires illegal?

23. Draw a gracie triangle in my facial stubble - I tried and was reminded how utterly hopeless my drawing skills are. I need help with this one.

24. Jump out of a plane…and land safely - Not yet. There's a few places here I could hop out of a plane for around $150. Just need to save a day for it.

25. Earn some $$ by writing - Tried and not yet. I've responded to a few job ads on Craigslist but didn't get any replies. I'll keep trying though.

26. Create a video that gets 1000+ hits on YouTube - Not yet. I've broken the 100 mark, just need to add another digit.

27. Mix a whiskey mint cocktail…that tastes awesome - Kind of. I created a mix and I think it tastes good but I need some others to try it. Anybody interested?

28. Ride a Harley across a desert - This one is kind of tough because Hawaii doesn't have a desert...and I don't have a Harley. Does anybody have a Harley with a desert I could borrow?

30.  Participate in Run for your Lives...as a Zombie! - Will do. A bunch of friends and I will be running as Zombies in late September. It's going to be so much fun, stay tuned for a blog and pics!

Olomana Hike

6/11/2013

With the day off I took the opportunity to tackle the Olomana hike. The Olomana trail treks up to the peak of a mountain then follows a connecting ridge to two other mountain peaks. There are three peaks in total. The trail has a reputation of being one of the most dangerous and challenging trails on the island. Most people hike to the first mountain peak and then turn back. I've hiked to the first peak once before but this time I was determined to make it to all 3 peaks.

 

This was the first hike of this level of difficulty that I've done solo. Getting to the top of the first peak took less than an hour and wasn't too difficult since I was familiar with the trail up to that point. For the most part it's standard “walking through the forest” type of hiking but there are a few climbing sections. There are ropes to help get through these areas. One thing to remember on this hike: trust the ropes, they're you're friend.

 

The wall before peak 1

Right before the 1^st peak there's a vertical rock wall, about 20 feet high, that you have to climb up. This is the first test for those who are iffy about climbing. Some play it safe and go no further (nothing wrong with that), some need a little extra motivation and help to get up the wall, while others simply go for it and climb up. When I first climbed the wall I took it slow and steady, making sure to find good grips in the rocks before climbing. There's also a rope, which I always kept a hand on. Having scaled this wall once before, it was no problem the second time and I just scurried up the thing, still with a firm grip on the rope though.

 

Once over the wall the trail narrows because it now follows the ridge at the top of the mountain. There's still plenty of room to walk but it's a good idea to keep an eye on where you're going. If you want to take in the view, stop and then look. There is some brief rock climbing in order to reach the first peak. Nothing vertical though. The climbing wasn't tough climb I was careful to maintain solid contact with the rock. If I slipped there's a good chance I'd catch myself but there's also a chance I could go over the mountainside. If that happened the fall would definitely result in death.

 

I stopped at the first peak to take a breather, have sip from my camelbak, and to take some pictures. Since I was hiking solo I text messaged a friend to say where I was and posted a picture on Instagram. I let several people know I was hiking that day and posting pictures was a way to show how I was doing and to prove I was still alive and hadn't fallen off the mountain.

 

Notice the ropes disappear over the edge

After a few moments at the top of peak 1, it was off to peak 2. I was venturing into unknown territory so I kept reminding myself to take my time and keep my eyes on the trail. The descent from peak 1 wasn't very tricky. I just followed the trail and the climb to peak 2 wasn't much of a climb but more like walking uphill. No problem. It felt like less than 20 minutes to go from peak 1 to peak 2.

 

However, the descent from peak 2 will certainly test your nerve. Definitely not for the faint at heart. When I reached the peak and spotted where to go to reach peak 3, I was greeted by the sight of ropes going over the edge of the mountain. Trust the rope, I kept telling myself. I grabbed a rope, faced the mountain, and began making my way down. It wasn't quite vertical so I could spot where to put my feet. The rope was sturdy and held my weight just fine. I made it through the first part of the descent okay but the next part was a different story.

 

The next rope section got tricky. At one point things went nearly vertical and I couldn't spot where my feet were going. I really had to rely on the rope, lean away from the mountainside, and full on repel down. Trust the rope, trust the rope. I moved real slow and careful and inched my way down. At one point I even had to stop to settle my nerves. Not being able to see where I was going and knowing that a slip could result in death was freaking me out a bit. But I took a few breaths and kept going. I probably spent 10-15 minutes on that section alone because I moved so slow but I made it safely to the next section of the descent.

The view of peak 3 from
the top of peak 2

 

The next section wasn't vertical, thank god, but there's still a rope. I kept a hand on the rope but for the most part I climbed down the rock without using it much. That was it for the descent, I took a deep breath relieved that I made it okay and continued along the trail toward peak 3.

 

When looking at peak 3 from a distance the trail looks extremely narrow but once on it I found it wasn't all that bad. I would have to purposely walk off the trail or completely not pay attention to where I was going to fall off...and yes falling off would result in death. But I had plenty of room to walk as long I stayed on the trail. However, I did find myself slipping around on the dirt in the section immediately following the descent. Mental note: get actual hiking shoes or trail running shoes...old running shoes just don't have enough grip sometimes.

One of the final rope climbs
leading tothe top of peak 3

 

The climb to the third peak isn't a walk in the park but after descending the 2^nd peak it wasn't all that bad. There were a few rope sections, which helped with the climbs, and the rocks offer plenty of places to get a good grip for climbing. There were some very cool rock formations along the way too. It took about 25 minutes to reach the top of peak 3.

 

The view from the 3^rd peak is pretty awesome. To be honest it isn't much different from the view from the other two peaks but because of the work done to get there, it's just that much more satisfying. I relaxed at the top for a few minutes, ate an apple, took some pictures, and posted a pic onto Instagram. Had to prove I made it...and hadn't died. Then it was time to head back. I was looking forward to heading back because I had experienced the trail and I was excited to climb back up to the 2^nd peak. I find it's always easier to climb up than it is to go down.

Cool looking rocks

I was still careful along the trail, used the ropes, and took my time to get a good grip on the rocks when needed. When I reached the climb back up to the 2^nd peak, it felt like I was looking straight up...couldn't believe I scaled down the thing. But going up, it looked like fun. I grabbed the rope and hauled my way back up. Descending from the 2^nd peak took a long time but climbing up only took about 5 minutes. Trust the ropes, their your friends, and they held up just fine. I was back on top of peak 2 and heading back to peak 1 in no time.

Celebration Apple!

When I reached peak 1 I noticed there were more people on the trail. It was around noon. I made it to the first rock wall and scaled down it with no problem. Again, after descending the 2^nd peak, a 20 foot wall is no problem. The rest of the way back down was easy going. I passed several people. All were friendly and some asked how the trail was up ahead. Most were going to the first peak and only a few were going to brave the triple peak trek. Kudos to those people.


The climb back up to the top of peak 2
descending this kinda freaked me out

The entire hike took me about 4 hours. My 1.5 liter camelbak was plenty of water for me. I had a few snacks in my pack but I only ate an apple. The hike would have been much smoother if I had some actual trail shoes and some gloves. I definitely thickened up a few callouses from climbing all the ropes and rocks. After the hike I drove into Kailua and got a bacon avocado burger and a vanilla shake from Teddy's. Good eating after conquering Olomana...felt like victory!

Panoramic from the top of peak 3 with peaks 1 & 2 in the distance