Bye Bye 2005

I always look forward to the winter solstice. The thought that each day from then on will be longer than the last gives me some comfort. The soaring days of summer are on the long march back.

I did manage to get a couple of short soaring flights on November 12th at Blanchard (near Bellingham, WA). It wasn't too spectacular, but I managed to get above launch for a little bit and, well, any soaring flight this time of year is pretty special. I noticed the next day that I was a bit sore though. I've been slacking on the winter exercise routines. But, like the rest of the nation, I'm re-devoting myself to fitness with the new year. I've been doing CrossFit off and on for the last year or so and I've found it to be great general conditioning for whatever your athletic pursuit is. It certainly was the foundation that got me through my first XC competition last year—6 days of big-air flying at the Chelan XC Classic. If you're not familiar with CrossFit, do yourself a favor and check it out. CrossFit Eastside in Redmond, WA, is the place if you live in the Seattle area, or check out CrossFit.com for the meat and potatoes of it all. Well ok, maybe not the potatoes—too many carbs. ;)