ET - Part Bear

Michael is a very versatile trainer. Here is just a sample from his bag-o-tricks:

There's Baby Bear...
Plank...
Clean and Press...
Ball Toss...
Knot Tying 101...
Push-ups...
And a Red Face.
Wearin' it Proudly!

On a serious note... We truly value Michael's extensive knowledge and willingness to share safe and proper training techniques. He makes us laugh... sweat like an open faucet... and sometimes cry... but we would not be this strong without him. Thanks McCloud!

ET - Part Your Hair

We can read your mind... You are thinking "What the heck is a BOSU?"

BOSU stands for "both sides utilized."
It is this incredible half dome, air filled piece of equipment - which our trainer, Michael, often uses for balance exercises via obstacle course.

While training on these blue dots, we often get questions/comments like: "Are these going to be on the mountain?"

But of course!
Why do you think we are wearing our mountaineering boots AND packs, silly!



You can do push-ups, side planks, mountain climbers, or lunges on them. Whole cardio classes are built around jumping on and off of them. Repeatedly. For an hour.

ET - Part B

Day One:

ET - Part One

FYI: ET stands for Exercise Training, which should actually be Training Exercises, but we thought ET sounded cooler and catchier than TE. Plus, it's our blog.

Just a quick note:
We wanted to show you some sample torture... we mean sample training exercises.
Please - do not try this at home or anywhere else without the proper training or trainer! We will not be responsible for broken toes, sprained ankles, crushed egos, split ends, hang nails, or anything else that might happen if you decide to try these exercises.

If you choose to try these exercises, it is at your own risk. (Gotta love disclaimers!)

And the first exercise of the day: Push-ups on the unstable stability ball...

Yeah - good luck with that one, Charlie!


Yes, we are wearing our mountaineering boots.
Yes, Richie's look like something from the 80's.
Yes, Michele's look like space boots.
And yes, we like them that way.

More Hikes...

We've been doing a few hikes on our own...

The First: Mt. Walker (near Quilcene, west of the Hood Canal)

Elevation: 2,804 feet

About the experience: We traveled on a cold and rainy Sunday afternoon. We read of fascinating views of the surrounding mountains, but we only saw clouds. So no photos from that hike, sorry. We were greeted at the summit with soft snow. This alone was worth the hike. We traveled the 2 mile, 2,000 foot elevation in 1.5 hours. It only took us 45 minutes to descend. This was a good opportunity to test out our gear (especially our down parkas).

What we've decided about this mountain: It is going to be the one mountain we love to hate. Because of it's elevation gain, it is excellent for training.


The Second: The Grand Forest via Miller Road, Bainbridge Island



Mileage: 8 miles

Time: 3.5 hours.

About this experience: This is just a cool hike - and it's on the island! We had loads of fun on this hike.










The Third: Mt. Walker, again.

Weight in backpacks: 25 lbs.

About the experience: This hike was specifically for training purposes. We checked the weather ahead of time. The prediction... You guessed it... RAIN! We took the Fire Road up, which was 4.5 miles. It took us 2 hours. We were proud of ourselves, considering we were in mountaineering boots and carry 25 lbs. We hiked 2 miles down in 1 hour.


The Fourth: Mt. Townsend, Olympic National Forest

Summit: 6,200 feet

About the experience:

This was an incredible hike! For most folks, this snow is nothing, but for two southerners - this was more fun than you can imagine.

The road to the trail was packed with about 3 feet of snow, so we parked the truck a mile from the lower trail head and hiked in. A great snowshoer hiked last on May 3rd, so luckily we were able to follow his marks.

We made it approximately 2.5 miles from the trailhead, when we ran into some hip deep snow - eek! - so we headed back to the truck. This was a great opportunity to test our gear (We stayed dry the entire time!), get in some great cardio, and just have fun.

What we've decided about this mountain: We are going to attempt to summit Mt. Townsend over Memorial Day weekend, but this time we are bringing snowshoes - yet another new experience for us! Check back soon for updates!

And one last note on how to make snow angels...

Step One: Proper Stance

Step Two: Graceful Descent

Step Three: Arms Down

Step Four: Arms Up

Step Five: REPEAT!