Tag Archives: Road Trip

Warrior Dash – Ohio II – Carrollton, OH – 09/11/2011

In an attempt to not talk about Wagons three times in a row (wait till my next post), I figured I would throw a post up about my Warrior Dash 2011 experience.

I really do not really feel it necessary to tell you all what Warrior Dash is other than it is fun, it is muddy, and it kicked my ass.

Months ago I decided I would make an attempt at the Warrior Dash.  Why you ask?

Why wouldn’t you want to is the question?

Accompanied by my friend who I coaxed into trying the event with me, we made our way to the grounds about an hour south of Akron a tad late of our start time.  We were supposed to be there for a 9am start time, but due to traffic we ran about 1/2 hour late.  No biggie.

We checked in and headed immediately to the starting line where it looked like 1000 people were lined up to attempt the Dash.  Before I knew it, I was running down a hill with people of ages in what would be a trial on my body for the next hour and a half or so.

The course was about 3.10 miles that circled up, around and through a 300-acre motocross park called Area 330 located in Carrollton, OH.  There were 11 obstacles placed throughout the course that mostly consisted of muddy hills during the first half.  Seriously, the muddy hills were worse than the obstacles themselves.  Every corner I turned on the course there were more hills of mud it seemed.  People were falling all over the place, but I maintained my balance and the only time I really fell was when I tried sliding down a muddy hill.  I made it about 3-feet.

As I previously mentioned, the obstacles were not that hard, some were a challenge like the dumpsters thanks to the tires placed all about.  I almost wiped out when I jumped out of the final dumpster and landed between two retired Goodyear tires.

I managed to make my way over rope nets, climb over walls, balance on beams, and even crawl under barb wire.  Luckily I have no fear of heights (sadly one girl did who I had to help coax push her leg over the net wall, she apologized profusely) and was able climb up high as well as managed to climb over walls and even trudge through mud covered logs in water dirtier than Lake Erie.

I’m no athlete.  I have yet to still get the hang of this jogging thing.  It was no surprise to me when my body started shutting down on some not nearly as muddy hills came back into into the course.  I took a breather a couple of times but for the most part pushed myself to the max.

When we rounded the end, you could smell the kerosene that fueled one of the last obstacles…the Warrior Roast.  It sounds worse than it really was, but I leaped over two fires that definitely were real.  Muddy Mayhem, a mud pit with barbwire strewn across was the last challenge before the finish line.  I hopped in the mud without hesitation and dragged myself through and finally conquered the Warrior Dash.  Covered head to toe in mud, I was given a medal proving that I survived.  A tear my have shed from my eye.

There were people cheering on the sidelines for all who crossed and it was a nice feeling.  I can’t say I finished first or 40th, over even 700th.  Folks, I finished 10523rd place and I am damn proud of myself.  I beat 400 people in that dash.  No, I kicked their asses…  Not really.

It was not about winning or losing though.  It was about getting with your friends and having the time of your life. In fact, I met up with a few friends after I cleaned up in the dirty lake.  I even got to see someone who I have not seen since high school as well as a fellow bearded KSU grad who I took a class with last Fall.

We  all shared beers and told stories of our day while bands played music in the background.  There were thousands of mud covered warriors and their friends and family who came to cheer them on surrounding the muddy grounds.  It was an amazing experience and I am already planning on next year’s.  This time though I plan on learning how to maybe jog or at least train a little harder.  Now that I know what I am going to be up against, I might as well turn it into a personal challenge for myself.

I encourage everyone to try the Warrior Dash at least once in their life.  You haven’t lived until you have made it though a dash.

Viva Las Fat Mike

Ok, I really need to get to Vegas now. Fat Mike, you know – that guy from NOFX with the freshly styled hairs, bought a sweet house just outside of Las Vegas and is renting it out to the public.

He calls it the Vegas Punk House – http://vegaspunkhouse.com/

Check it out:

So why should you rent a huge ass, punk rock house when staying in Vegas?  I’ll let Fat Mike explain himself (taken from http://vegaspunkhouse.com):

Hi, I’m Fat Mike and this is my house. My punk house. This isn’t the house that I live and sleep in; it’s the house that I visit and don’t sleep in. It’s my house that’s for adults that live like teenagers.

This is why it’s awesome:

It has 3 bedrooms, but it sleeps 10 cuz one bedroom has 6 bunk beds. There’s a full kitchen, sunken living room with an even more sunken bar, poker table room, game room with pinball, record player with a shitload of records, a pool table, and walls covered in thousands of old school flyers that I’ve collected over the years.

The outside has a salt water pool, a cave hot tub, a water slide, a tiki hut, and a 9-hole putting green. That’s a lot of cool shit… for a foreclosure.

The house is 4 miles from the strip (10 minutes) and is on a cul de sac in a really nice neighborhood (used to be till I moved in). That’s about it. Check out our gallery to get a better feel for the place. Have a really good/hedonistic time! The first case of PBR is on me.

Cheers, Fat Mike

The rates for staying are provided upon request.  The place sleeps 10 so if you and a bunch of your punk rock buddies split the fee, it will not be that bad and you will have plenty of money to spend on hookers and blow.

I am thinking I need to crash here one day very soon.  It looks like it would be an absolute riot.

CLICK HERE for more photos.  The place is acutally very nice looking…  Who’s game for a punk rock Vega weekend?

T-Minus 18 Days…

I am sure I have bragged about this before but…  I’m going to be checking out SXSW finally, well sort of.  I am going to be missing a few days of it thanks to school but will be able to catch the latter end as I will be arriving in Austin on March 18th around noon.

Why am I telling you all this?  Well why wouldn’t I?  I’m stoked to actually check some of this amazing span of days in one of my favorite cities.

Plus I am hoping people from Austin will read this and give me a ride from the airport to the city as I have things to do!!!  Just kidding, I made arrangements already.

Shirts For A Cure will be putting on a free show at Red 7 that will start right around the time my plane lands.  I am hoping I can make it there in time to see Paint It Black, Fake Problems, BANE, Title Fight, Riverboat Gamblers, Dave Hause, and The Flatliners. I am not holding my breath though as I am sure a ton of kids will get there before I do.

Later that night I need to poke around the city and find The Scoot Inn as Screeching Weasel, Banner Pilot, Dead To Me, and The Flatliners (2 shows in one night!) will be playing a later set.  I am pretty certain that this show is going to not be free and I will do my best to find a way in as I did not obtain a SXSW bracelet since I am only going to be there technically for two days.

Saturday afternoon it looks like Alternative Press is having a free afternoon of music as well but I am not too sure I am going to dig any of the bands so we shall see.  If anything I will spend that day eating good food and seeing good people.

I plan on making it over to Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon (see Ginny on the right) and see Dale Watson and crew play a show on Sunday the 20th.  That right there would make my weekend.  Plus I hear the chicken-shit bingo is a ton of fun too.  Mike B., I’ll be looking for you man!!!

Other than those couple events I have nothing really planned for my 5 days in the coolest city in Texas other than hanging with one of the coolest ladies on Earth.  I hope to mingle with some other friends too that I have who live in the area as well as meet up with some of the PR folks who help keep this site awesome including JT and Vanessa.

I am sure I will spend a dollar or two at Waterloo Records and I am hoping to see the cool parts of town and maybe see about getting a permanent souvenir again at Triple Crown Tattoos (not counting on that as Austin is going to be insane, but still…).

I am done bragging…for now.

 

West Virginia, Country Mama…

Many of you may remember that time I went to a cabin in West Virgina around the last week of June.  I said I was going to write daily journals about my experiences there but I never did.  It was not because I wanted to keep secrets from you or because I did not feel like writing about it.  It was because I experienced that which is called relaxation and I just decided it was best to enjoy myself and forget the rest.

I have a few pictures posted on some of those social networking sites and will share a couple here just so you can see what absolute peace looks like…

Why am I suddenly bringing up WV again?  Well I am headed back.  I am leaving here in just a bit with a few friends for sort of a last hurrah of sorts.  One being for me as I am going back to school and one for my pal Kyle as he is tying the knot with a special someone.  Needless to say I will be off the grid once again.  No cell phone, no internet, no problem.

What do I plan on doing there you ask?  Great question.

I plan on:

  • Doing nothing
  • Sitting by the camp fire
  • Drinking beer
  • Eating veggie hot dogs
  • Hiking
  • Taking photos

I really should get cracking here as I am supposed to be leaving shortly so I will leave you with a few photos I took last time I was there and I will see you all on Sunday.

Gaslight Anthem / Tim Barry review in the works by the way…  Best show I have seen this year hands down…

Babble Blog: Tyler Durbin, WV

In case any of you were wondering, I am still alive.  My paying gig has been taking a lot of my free time as has the new relationship I have started with a wonderful girl.  I have not forgotten about BHP and still have a few interviews and whatnot up my sleeves I will be posting shortly.  I can’t let down all 4 of my readers…

Before any of that happens though I thought I might take a little vacation, rather, an adventure.  Skipping Bonnaroo this year (tears still form at my eyes about that decision), I made a pact with one of my best friends to go on an extended camping trip with him and our dogs in the mountains of West Virginia.

I am leaving here as soon as I am done typing up this blog.  Why am I telling you this?  Well because in the middle of the mountains there is no internet or cellular phone service so I am going to be off the grid for a while.  I am excited yet nervous about this as I pretty much depend on the internet and my cellphone these days.  I know, sad.

I will be trying to make daily journal entries that I will compile into a blog when I get back.  Should be interesting as I have not done anything like this in at least 10 years.  I am sure I am going to have a blast but wish me luck anyways.  I need an escape and this should do me just fine.

Be well.