You would think by now that I would have a Blackberry to organize my life, but I love my Month-At-A-Glance paper calendar. I pencil in meetings and appointments, workouts and races, dinners and movies. I can see how it all fits together, with one swift look, and it becomes a record of my life that I enjoy reviewing now and then.
Every year at this time, I transition from the old one, chock full of a year's worth of work and play, and begin anew with a fresh, blank At-A-Glance. First, I fill in birthdays, holidays, full moons and any big commitments I know about. Next, I write in my favorite events or perhaps new ones I've heard about and want to try. Here are a few you might want to pencil into your 2010:March 13: Hoodoo Snowathalon: Last year was the inaugural year for the Snowathalon, Central Oregon's best new multi-sport event. It involved snowshoeing 1,500 vertical feet up to the summit of the mountain, descending back again on downhill skis and then completing a 5K cross-country ski. Race director Kendall Cook says, "It will be the same format, however theski down will be more challenging and the X-C will be longer." www.oregonadaptivesports.org
May 15: Pole Pedal Paddle: Wouldn't miss it! www.mbsef.org
May 22: Reverse PPP: An undercover, informal gathering of anyone who wants to do the whole thing again... backwards!
July 17-18: Deschutes Dash: Two years ago, I did the Deschutes Dash. Last year, I switched over to the Pacific Crest Half Ironman. Pac Crest is an enormous festival run by AA Sports out of Portland and DD is a homegrown event put on by Fresh Air Sports. My vote goes to the locals for best Central Oregon Tri Weekend. There's an Olympic distance race on Saturday and a sprint race on Sunday. www.freshairsports.com
July 24: Pioneer Cup: This canoe, kayak and stand-up race at Odell Lake is the best kept secret in Central Oregon. About 30 people show up each year for the six-mile paddle across the lake, followed by a BBQ. Race director John Milandin makes this a fun, low-key event, even when the algae blooms. If you're interested, get on his e-mail list: [email protected]
October 15-17: Bend's Big Fat Tour- Complete all of the "epic" miles on your mountain bike and earn a highly coveted "No Whiners" patch. www.bendsbigfattour.org
December 9-12: Cyclocross Nationals: Wow, was that fun or what?! I'll be there next year for sure, maybe on a new Salsa Chili con Crosso with knobby tubulars. www.visitbend.com
IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION
If all that long-range planning represents too much delayed gratification and you need to put something on your calendar for this coming weekend, consider these options:
January 8-10: Women's Telemark Slideshow and Ski Camp: Heather Paul, a two-time National Telemark Champion and former World Cup Team member, is returning to Bend to present a slideshow of telemark skiing in powder on Hokkaido in Japan. The slideshow is on Friday, January 8 at Pine Mountain Sports. Doors open at 7:00pm and the show starts at 7:30pm. It is free, but seating is limited and an RSVP required: (541) 385-8080.
Free-heeling women are also invited to join Heather for the Ultimate Grooves Telemark Camp during Telefest at Hoodoo on January 9th and 10th. There will be group instruction each morning for 3-3.5 hours with video analysis and demo gear. Cost is $99 for one day or $180 for both days. Registration is required. Contact Heather Paul at (970) 209-9875 or for more information, visitwww.ultimategrooves.com.
January 10: Learn to Ski Day: Learn how to skate or classic ski at Meissner Sno-Park from 2 to 4 p.m. It's hard to beat free instruction and rentals, so reserve your ski equipment before January 10 at Sunnyside Sports, Bend Bike N Sport (skate or classic skis), Pine Mountain Sports or Mountain Supply (classic skis only). The ski vendors for Rossignol will have also demo equipment available. For more information, contact David Smullin at (541) 383-3402 or [email protected].
