The Great Solar Eclipse of 2017 crossed the continent, from Oregon to South Carolina, and gave millions of people the chance to witness one of the most awe-inspiring events in the natural world.

But you had to be within the "path of totality", a narrow band across the earth's surface several thousand miles long but only about 70 miles wide. Outside that band you would only see a partial eclipse, not a total eclipse.

And there is no such thing as a "partial total eclipse", despite the impression blogs and the news media might give. I honestly think that's why so many people misunderstand the utter beauty of the spectacle; they may have seen a partial eclipse in the past that was total somewhere else, and even though they weren't in the path the news kept gushing about it being a total eclipse, so they assume they must have seen a total eclipse and just didn't find it all that impressive.


Posted by Dan 08/29/2017, revised 09/06/2017

Scott Tinley's Long Course was my final, final season finale. Yes, I know I'm supposed to be done racing for the year, but this one was non-negotiable because I had a specific agenda:

To win the Goodwell Fitness Tri Club Championship Series.

The contest is in its inaugural year, and the two main objectives are to score club points and to score individual points. With one event left to go, the Silicon Valley Tri Club was in a tight race with Triathlon Club San Diego and Golden Gate Triathlon Club, and we needed as many racers as possible to show up in San Luis Obispo to secure the win. I took this assignment very seriously.

Additionally, in the competition for individual points, I was in the top three, and the stakes were high: the first place prize was a Fitness Adventure sponsored by Goodwell Fitness and Alaska Airlines. This included round-trip airline tickets for two, a two night hotel stay, and a race entry fee at the destination of your choice (U.S. & Mexico). Holy crap! A dream come true!

This was a no brainer. Injured or not, I needed to be at this final race in the series. Scott Tinley's offers Sprint, Olympic and Long, with higher TCCS point values assigned to the longer distances. Long Course it is!

I combined forces with fellow SVTC racer (and club president) Carin, and last minute accommodations were hastily booked at a "budget level" motel in Arroyo Grande, just 20 minutes from the race venue at Lopez Lake.

The decor wasn't really my style, but at least the lampshades were still in the package. Nothing worse than a stale lampshade.


Posted by Kimberly 10/21/2015

Vang Vieng is a small town in Northern Laos which is unfortunately a stop on the backpackers beaten trail, destroying any charm it once had and turning it into a feeding frenzy for those looking to squeeze an easy buck from the ignorant travellers. We had to stop however because just outside Vang Vieng are incredible limestone cliffs and the only climbing sites in Laos. The weather was threatening to rain but we decided we couldn't risk missing the only chance we would have. We grabbed our shoes, rented the rope and harnesses we would need from a local shop and headed for the closest, driest site.

Eager to get some real climbing in

Posted by nik 11/15/2008, revised 11/15/2008

I'm wearing down. I've got a decent head cold going, and I just find myself exhausted and ready for bed by 8pm every night. The quick-paced, short-flame travel lifestyle is not the way I want to travel in the future. I'm beat after one week, and I feel like I'd much rather spend longer in a place, take my time, and not feel like every day has to be a "big day."

I've down about 8 cups of tea on the day. My head is still clogged and my body is tired. BUT! I had a great morning. I did the Canyon Swing in Queenstown this morning. It's 109 meters above the canyon floor, 60 meter freefall, and a big fat arcing swing through gorgeous rock walls and water below. It's much smoother than bungy jumping, there is no jolting or jarring. It's reeeally really cool, and you can go off the ledge any number of ways. And I did! I went 3 times, because extra jumps are only $10 each for the month of May (rather than the normal $50!). So I went 3 times, and did their 3 scariest-rated "dismounts": falling backwards, hanging upside-down and being cut away, and "Staff Choice"... they put a big plastic bucket over my head and pushed me off. Haha. That was a riot. Anyway, a great time, and a great adrenaline rush.

Then I got a Fergburger for lunch - the infamous buger joint in town that truly is AMAZING. After that, I was back on the roadside, hitching the 7 hours back to Christchurch. I found a straight ride pretty quickly, so that was awesome. Easy commute, saved $50 (and several hours) on a bus.

Gah! I'm running out of internet time. I really dislike paying for internet by the minute/hour. It's so frustrating.

Anyway, I'm in Christchurch for the next day and a half, taking it easy. I'm excited to get back to warm Townsville!
Posted by Whitney 05/02/2008