ProLine Sports, Nutrition and Equipment Blog

Orbea Ora

This past weekend I took some of my free time and got out riding. I didn't feel like equipping my bike to be fully ready for the road quite yet, as I still have the trainer wheel on the back and positioning set for on my trainer. So instead I opted to hop on my wife's Orbea Ora. 

This bike is fast. Well at least compared to the Alpha Aluminum on my Trek SL 100. The main reason behind that is two-fold. Reason number one, it's made of carbon. The stiffness and rigidity of the carbon on the bike make the Trek feel like I'm riding a rubber frame in comparison. The response I get when I torque down on the pedals is extraordinarily better. I can feel that all of my power is being transferred straight to the pavement. Instead of like on the Trek, I lose much if it in the side to side contortion of the frame flexing under my power and weight. 

Reason number two, it's made of carbon ( I know I said it twice). The carbon fiber frame (though not the highest density and top of the line like it's big brother the Ordu) is light. Very light. I don't know the exact weights by comparison. But, when I'm mashing up a hill on the Orbea, I can feel the bike push forward with every stroke of the pedal. On the other hand, with the Trek, I have to feel my way through each stroke, and it's a slow and steady surge instead of the instant impact I find on the Orbea.

Next, the components. The setup on the Orbea is mostly built with Shimano Ultegra parts, and a few FSA pieces in there as well. Mostly in the crank. Compared to the Shimano 105 and Sora parts on the Trek, it's like comparing a pair of wooden clogs to sprint spikes. The Ultegra components are super responsive and very light. Although the Orbea could use a tune up, the shifting and braking is leaps and bounds above the Trek. Which could also use a tune. Where is the time?!

Having taken the Orbea out over 100km over the past weekend, I got a great feel for how the bike handles in some pretty sever wind. With the stock wheels, another entry-level Shimano component, I didn't pick up much side wind. Had I had a deeper set of rims, there could have been a bigger issue. So that was a plus for not having the huge upgrade. My wife has a Cobb seat on the bike. It's pretty comfortable, but it's not as aggressive as I would like. When I want to get back on the saddle and in a nice low aero position, the seat is a bit too wide for that, so I end up creeping forward while I'm mashing away. But that's an easy fix were I to race on it. Just swap over my seat for hers and done. 

The bars are nice. But basic. I have the same Profile TT clip-ons on my bike, but having the TT handle bars as opposed to the drops of a road bike makes a difference. The width on the Orbea isn't quite there. I've got wide shoulders, and if it were my bike, I would upgrade ot a wider setup. Luckily my wife is about the same height as me, so the stack height and frame are nearly perfect when I jump on. 

Lastly, I like the adjustability of the bike. With two presets on the seat post that you can slide the saddle around on, the ability to get more aggressive and more relaxed is totally there. The bars have 3 spacers to adjust the stack height should you get more comfortable being lower and more aero, or if you're on a grueling 100+ mile ride, you can stack the bottom and get a more comfortable position to get more oxygen. 

Either way, the Orbea stacks up nicely as a whole. If I were to classify it, I would put it in the high end of an entry-level tri bike. It has tons of adjustability so you won't feel locked in to your position. And with quality components and the light and rigid carbon frame, you'll get all of the power out of the bike you can ask for as a newbie. The only thing I have noticed is that it seems that the frame builders didn't put too much emphasis on the aerodynamics of the frame. It seems to have more of a classic road bike build, compared to the tear drop shapes and aerodynamics of your typical high-end tri bike. 

When you're out comparing, I would put this bike on the level of probably the Cervelo P2 and the Canondale Slice (Chrissie Wellington's bike). Having done a little riding on both of those, and now the Orbea, it's a close call, but I think no matter what you pick, you'd be happy. Now get out riding while the getting is good!

Dave

It's March, and I am Sunburnt

Happy belated St. Patrick's Day to everyone! Hope everybody got some good green beers in and had a fun and safe weekend. I celebrated my weekend with a little unplanned training outside. Now, I still can't run, but in a week I can hopefully write about my first run since surgery. However, after taking my final exam for one of my Master's classes on Saturday morning and letting the morning storm roll through, I was able to get out and get in a ride. The weather was magnificent. A bit windy, but who can complain about a little wind when it's 70º and sunny? 

Saturday was a decent ride, I was able to get out and put in just under two hours of pretty solid riding. I was feeling good, and was able to push my knee a bit. It never felt weak or out of place. I got in a few half-hearted sprints, still not quite ready to push it all out, and spent some time in aero position. It was interesting to ride, because I decided to try out my wife's bike, which is an Orbea Ora. Now, she's about the same height as me, so I only had to do a few minor tweaks to get the bike to fit properly. I'll write up a good review about later this week. 

I was so ramped up and ready to ride all weekend. Every time I was out in my car driving, I saw people out biking. It's hard not to get excited to throw on your own cleats and hit the pavement. It was so great seeing so many people out getting at it in such beautiful weather. It gives me hope for everyone! Get outside!

Today I had a little more free time, so I took on a longer ride. Around 100km is the course I take to get up and around Lake Geneva, WI. I try to vary it up so I never hit the same roads every time. This time I was just taking my time, trying to avoid the wind. In the open cornfields of IL and southern WI, it's almost inevitable. So I had to buckle down and just push through it. 

The ride itself was beautiful. The temperature was hanging around 70º again, so I couldn't complain. The wind was at my back on the way up, so the first half was pretty fast. Once I'm around the lake, there's lots of up and down. The hills are tough, and they keep coming at you. You may think you can carry your speed down and around the corner, but you shoot right back up and the hill sucks all of your momentum out of your wheels, and it's back to grinding away. 

I was really happy to get this second ride in, until I hit about mile 50 or so. There's a long, open road I travel down that is unavoidable, and I was out of water. A few times I was almost at my breaking point. Nearly pulling it all in and calling for a ferry ride home. But I got to a point, about 8 miles from home or so, and I pulled off, remembering there's a hand pump right near the river. It was my little oasis in the middle of the desert. I pedaled over to the edge and jumped off my bike, pumped a few times, and was ecstatic to see the water spout out of the fountain. I washed my face quick and filled up my bottle, then hopped back on and headed home, with renewed spirit.

After getting home, I was so happy to be eating food and get my legs up in the air. Though this wasn't my longest ride, it may have been mentally my toughest. Running out of fuel is terrible, and the feeling of nearly bonking is no fun either. I was running on fumes, and was able to make it home. A cold shower and some good helping of Ultragen, and I was starting to feel my body coming back to life.

Hopefully our weather keeps like this for a while longer and doesn't get too hot too soon. But I won't hold my breath on it either way. It will probably snow this week. That's life near the windy city for you! Check out my post later this week on what I feel is great about the Orbea Ora.

-Dave

Back at Work

It's funny how good I felt the day of surgery. Getting out of the hospital, I was really feeling good and not much pain. I really thought it wasn't going to be that big of a deal going back to work. The thought actually crept into my mind about going back in for the afternoon. Especially since the guys on my team and I are pretty overloaded with work and another designer in our group just left for a new job, too. But, I did as I was told and went home and rested. Good decision.

I know I've talked about the first few days, so I won't go back into that at all. But now having been back at work for two days with my leg immobilized and walking around with either no crutch or just one, the days are really taking it out of me. I'm a really active guy, so I figured a little extra precaution and taking extra time to get things done because of my knee wouldn't drain that much out of me, but boy was I wrong.

Monday wasn't too bad, albeit it was a long day. I moved my desk back down with the rest of my team and I now have a seat with a view! But moving a lot of my stuff was tough. However, my boss and fellow-designer did do the heavy lifting of bringing down my Mac tower and monitors, as well as my backup battery, so that saved a bunch. I just had to empy out my drawers and load up my utensils and rearrange them back at my new desk.

The doctors that did my surgery had told me, in general, most people will take the next week off of work, then go back slowly. I really didn't have this option. Had I done that, I would have left my boss to man the front alone, because the other designer was leaving for vacation on Tuesday, and with our excessive workload, it would have been a nightmare. So I decided to buck up, take my pain meds, and get work done to help him out. 

What really surprised me was how much I actually move around at work. I know it's a desk job, but if you stop to think about how many times you shift your weight around or turn your chair, it's quite a lot. And for me, each movement means readjusting. I'm either putting pressure on a few spot on my leg because of the brace, or I'm putting my hip in an uncomfortable location that makes my lower back start to ache. There's really no winning. So by the end of the day, I'm beat. All I want to do is go home, lay down, eat food, and decompress. But I stil need to elevate my leg for a while, take the brace and wrap off to let it air out and help alleviate the swelling, and try to get some icing done. Which is illustrated in the pictures below.

             

The nice thing is having the ice machine that I can just wrap on to my leg that you can see in the second image. Instead of strapping cold and hard ice to my leg, this pumps ice cold water from a cooler through the tubes and around my leg into a gell-like container that wraps all the way around my leg. So it constantly feeds through col water. Having everything off except the dressing (image 1) is nice to let my leg breathe and also do one of the exercises I mentioned last time. Putting my heel on the pillow and letting my knee use gravity to straighten out. It's a welcome relief from having my knee slightly bent throughout the day. Then when I'm back in bed, (image 3) the brace goes back on for another night of uncomfortable sleep. For some reason I can't get good sleep. Even with the pain meds, I wake up hot, uncomfortable, and frustrated a handful of times each night. The worst part, I know, is that the more sleep I can get, the better my body can heal. So I'm feeling like the lack of elevation at work, and lack of sleep is somewhat compounding on top of each other. I'm hoping to make up for it this weekend by not doing much. But we'll have to see! 

-Dave

Running the Sahara

There's something about inspiring stories. Whether they encourage you to go above and beyond what you think you can do, or just give you a new perspective on humanity, they change you. Yesterday I took the time to watch the documentary about a group of three men who decided to take on the challenge of running across the Sahara Desert, and end up in the Red Sea. 

A friend of mine suggested this a while back, and I finally got around to watching it while I was on the trainer yesterday. I was able to find it on Netflix and spent just under two hours riding and becoming inspired. The movie didn't inspire me to go running through some exotic locations, but it gave me a different perspective on what and why endurance athletes do what they do.

"Endurance athletes are running away from something inside of themselves, and that's one of the reasons they do what they do." -Lance Armstrong

I think this quote rings true about these three men, and of so many endurance athletes that are always looking for more. Whether it be getting faster, or going further. Two of these men battled to get away from a partying lifestyle with alcohol and drugs. And I think that's such a key point to nail down on so many endurance junkies. It's an addiction. 

I've been pondering on this point for a while now, and have come to the realization that this is 100% true. Whether I'm on the bike, running, swimming, or even when I would be out skiing, I never want it to end. The euphoria that comes to a junkie while they're training is indescribable to anyone that hasn't experienced it. And the guys in this film all have the bug.

For me, the part of the film that was most inspiring was when Kevin Lin, an elite athlete, was on the brink of giving up. He, a well-known and celebrated marathoner in Taiwan, came ever so close to leaving the expedition. That was a shock to me, then watching the two other average guys, having to talk the elite runner back into the journey. Kevin was ready to pack it up and go home, when faced with the realization of the dangers that lie ahead if they weren't granted access into Libya. Both Ray and Charlie were able to talk Kevin back into running, and finishing the journey with them. And I think the key point was Charlie telling Kevin to think about the amount of regret he would be faced with if he dropped out of the race. This was the moment that really brought the group together, and solidified them as a family, more than just a group of friends. This was their journey.

Watching these three men go through so many emotions. On the brink of giving up, losing hope, being away from loved ones for over a hundred days, they somehow made it through. They weren't running fast, but the sheer amount of miles they put in was truly mind-boggling. On average they were going through two marathons a day, day after day after day. For some people, one marathon is enough. But for these three, the Sahara was their goal, and they conquered it.

In the end, I think Ray summed up the psyche the three of them shared, and something that every endurance athlete should ask themselves. You need to ask yourself what your goals are. If you put parameters and limits on what you can achieve, that's all you can do. If you're only going to run a 5k or 10k, that's all you'll do. The mind is so powerful. Yes, you do have physical limitations, but the key contributor to what you can achieve is truly all mental. These three guys set their sights high, and almost didn't believe in themselves. But between them, they were able to stomach up enough mental strength to keep going, keep pushing and accomplish their goal.

So when you're out training and setting goals for the coming season and thinking about what you can and can't do, just remember that what you can accomplish is mostly in your mind. If you believe you can do it, you can. Put your plan in motion and execute, and eventually you'll get there.

-Dave

Diagnosis: Torn ACL

This past week has been a little bit of up and down. I was able to get into my Orthopedic Doctor on Monday in Chicago to hopefully give me a full diagnosis and an MRI. I was looking forward to that and learning what the next steps were. However, when I showed up, there was no MRI scheduled, just a quick ten minute consult, and an order for an MRI. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed with the scheduling staff at that hospital. 

The next day, Tuesday, I was able to fit in an MRI after work and get those sent over to the orthopedic to look at. After waiting another day, I was finally able to get my results: a torn ACL. Complete bummer. But I was already planning for the worst, and that's what it was. So I wasn't overly disheartened by the news.

I've got my next meeting with the surgeon coming up soon, but it's still too long. I'm the type of person who hates waiting to fix things. If something is broke, I want to take it in, get it fixed, and get back to normal. Like with my car. I had an appointment for a small oil leak from bottoming out on the drive back from Utah. The appointment was for 11:30, so I figured it would be done and taken care of by 2:30 or 3:00 that afternoon. I gave a call at 3:30, to learn they hadn't even gotten the car up on the lift yet. If I would have known that, I would have taken it somewhere else. 

Now, back to training and such. I have been able to put in some training this week. I got in a couple swims and some easy bike riding. I didn't really want to push it. Especially since everything was still a bit stiff. But each day seems to be getting better and better. So before I go in for my surgery, I want to have a great base and some strong muscles to support the joint which will be pretty tender and tight for a while I'm sure.

I'm at the point now where I want the surgery tomorrow, and I want to start rehab the next day. I want to be working my way back into good form and be ready for the season coming up. Whatever that ends up being. I'm certain I should be able to fit in a few races. Most likely towards the latter half of the season, but that's ok. This is going to be a great test for me. I'm going to find out a lot about myself. I won't be able to go hard running for a long time. And that scares me. Running has always been my go-to. But, I'm going to spend a lot of time in the gym, getting strong, and cranking out lots of miles on the bike and laps in the pool to build up my weaker two sports. I still feel that this year could be a good year for me in the world of racing. I may not be able to hang my hat on any long courses of 70.3 or more, but I feel I can come in and be a good threat in the sprint and olympic distance courses

I look forward to cataloging my experiences coming back from such a big blow to my training. Hopefully I can put some good thoughts and ideas down to help anyone who may be in the same situation or will be soon after me. You never know when you might slightly tweak something wrong, and have your training plans come crashing down around you. I honestly think the thing I'm most bummed out about is that this ski season is basically over for me. The lateral movements will be tough on the knee, but we'll see what I hear back from the surgeon in a week. He's worked with a lot of professional athletes from the Chicago teams, so he'll completely understand my drive and determination to get back out training and racing.

-Dave

Happy Thanksgiving! (great day for recovery)

Thanksgiving Day is coming fast, and family and friends are gathering from all over to celebrate. But, what are we supposed to do about the forthcoming surplus of calories? The tryptophan-induced comas in the afternoon? Well there is a few things you can do, and I would reccomend figuring out which one will fit into your schedule. Mostly depending on where you'll be at.

One thing a few families in my town started doing before I can probably remember is having a soccer game. There's usually been about 4-5 families from our town that all get together, and we play until we feel like our legs are about to give out or the old guys start standing around too much and yell at the younger folk. 

The past couple times my brother Jake had come home, we would go out for some sizeable runs. Partially to get out and get some fresh air before the onslaught of 25+ family members coming to our house. It gave us some time just to be out at see our town in a dead silence. Most people still sleeping off a hangover from Blackout Wednesday, some just starting to gear up for the big day. It's a really nice feeling to be out in thte crisp morning air and see almost no cars. It's almost as if time stands still.

Another option, if time permits for you, and if you're traveling all day on Thursday, is to load up a big day of training and make the following day a rest day. Depending on your event, it could be a really solid tempo run, or a good long base-building effort of 90-120 minutes. Or if you want to work on biking, a good 3-hour ride is another great option. 

I think the biggest thing to avoid is to steer clear of getting too caught up on the shenanigans of the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Going out and having too much to drink will put you far behind in either recovering from a hard day on Wednesday, or cause you to train like crap on Thursday. I'm not saying don't go enjoy the party, but be sure to sneak in some glasses of water with your high-balls.

One last idea is to look for a local race to do. It doesn't have to be anything big, but something to get your training in for the day, and make it fun. There's no reason to make it a high-stakes race. A friend of mine puts on a fun run called the Frozen Turkey 5k that attracts a good amount of local runners and some clubs. So the turnout is pretty good and there's some good talent there as well. For those of you who think races like this are just some SWAG raes.

Don't let training take a back seat during the holidays, but also don't let it take you away from time with family and friends. Find a happy medium so that neither you or anyone else feels like they're being let down. You in your training, or family by you not being around. After all, they are the ones who come out and support you at your races!

-Dave

Verzbicas Dumping Ducks for US Elite Triathlon Academy?

So I woke up yesterday morning and got to work, just like usual. Then I started to scroll through my email, and I noticed that Slowtwitch had sent out their newsletter. I quickly glanced through to see if there was anything I wanted to read later on in the day, either over lunch or in the evening when I got home. But, to my surprise, one jumped off the page and I had to read it immediately. I wasn't too sure what to think of the title, so I read on: The First Love of Lukas Verzbicas.

Initial thoughts were this was to be a piece on Verzbicas talking about how after leaving college at the prestigious Oregon University and possibly walking away with some NCAA national championships in cross-country and on the track, Verzbicas would be taking back up the sport of triathlon. Something that I don't think would be much of a surprise to many people close to the story of Verzbicas. Especially with him putting aside his training for this fall's cross-country season to compete (and win) the Jr. ITU Worlds.

But this turned out not to be the case. Effective immediately, Verzbicas has left Oregon for the US Elite Triathlon Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. He is said to also be attending University of Colorado as well. I feel that is neither here nor there.

I'm not going to lie, but initially I thought this was a huge score for US Triathlon. A big name, coming in early and who could possibly compete with the Brownlees. And maybe he could help the US down the road in the IM distance from the onslaught of foreigners kicking our butts in Hawaii every year. Our home turf.

But as I read further into this interview, I began thinking this guy is something else. He committed to Oregon, on a full-ride scholarship, and was looked at being the flagship of their running programs. Oregon let him train and compete for the Jr. Worlds with no penalty (as did the NCAA). But then how does he repay them? He dumps the school, his coaches, his teammates before NCAA regionals. I couldn't possibly imagine doing this to any of my teams. Especially if I were such a stud athlete. It seems like basically a middle finger to the collegiate sports world. 

I talked with a co-worker as well who is a big runner, and probably knows more about Verzbicas and this story than I do, and his sentiments are basically the same. If his feelings are anywhere similar to the rest of the world of running, Verzbicas won't have too many fans at his upcoming races. But, I'm sure he won't care with the type of endorsements he'll be bringing in. Which was seemingly a heavy concern in the interview conducted by Slowtwitch. 

"Quite a few good triathletes don't have great running shoe sponsorships, when compared to some serious Pro runners. Is that surprising to you and something you hope will be different for you?"

... Seriously? That's what your asking the kid? Last time I checked Matty Reed was running in Asics, Chrissie Wellington is sporting some Brooks, and Craig Alexander is rocking his Newtons. And maybe you should check out this:

Psssst. I'm pretty sure they're not paying for them since their logos are on their jerseys. But, who am I to know? 

I feel this is the equivalent of High School basketball stars skipping college all together. Interviews like this will give Verzbicas a big head. If he doesn't already have one. But it's also going to give the rest of the field, especially the Brownlees and Gomez, a head to hunt at every race. 

Now, I don't wish any ill-will on Verzbicas. And I hope he has an amazing and illustrious career as a triathlete. But, why commit to such an amazing school and turn your back on them when they offered you so much? That scholarship money could have gone to someone who was ready to stick it out. Or to some no-name walk-on phenom. Instead it was flushed down the drain.

-Dave

Taking some family time

 The last week and a half or so have been pretty tough for me. School has been getting a bit harder and the realization of losing my brother keeps sinking in deeper and deeper as time goes on. I've given training a little bit of a back seat for few days and I think it has helped me mentally. Not saying I've given up altogether. I'm still getting in some good mileage running mostly, but also some good training sessions indoors on the bike, as well as laps in the pool. But, family has really helped me start to tackle some demons plaguing my mind as of late.  

I was able to be at my sister and brother-in-law's place the night they decided to have their two girls carve some pumpkins. After some screaming of who gets what pumpkin and the older one protecting them from the younger (reminded me of Jake and I when we were little), we finally got them settled in and excited about pulling the 'guts' out. It was fun to watch them struggle cutting the pumpkin, but great to watch them learn what was working and not working. It's amazing how fast some kids just start comprehending experiences.

This past weekend I decided last minute to make a trip down to Eastern Illinois University (my alma mater) and meet up with my wife (hers too) for homecoming weekend. Now, I generally don't get too excited about homecoming, especially for EIU, being that it's mostly a frat run town, but it was nice to get back and see some people we haven't seen in quite a while. Plus, it was the 30th anniversary of the volleyball team as a division I program, so my wife got to have a little celebration with some teammates and see some history of the team. (The picture to the left is my morning drive down to campus.)

                

I, on the other hand, spent a little time with the team at their brunch, then went out and did some training. I know the roads pretty well, and figured I could get in about 10 miles or so before I needed to be back to do anything. It was great to get out and away from all the hoopla I generally avoid and just feel the fresh midwest air. As I ran, I remembered all the times we ran through some of these streets on the soccer team, and how much we hated it then, but I loved it now. I ran portions of the 5k loop our coach had mapped out, then down to where we'd run hills. Which doesn't seem as big now. But I'm glad my coach didn't turn left at the bottom and go over another 2 miles. There's another hill that's much steeper and probably 50m longer! Making my way back into town, I saw a new building. It was the Renewable Energy Center that EIU had built. I can honestly say, this was one of my more proud moments to say I'm an EIU Alum. To see how wonderful the building looked and that EIU was taking great strides in minimizing it's carbon foot print is great.

   
After the short weekend at EIU, it's always great to get back to those who love you no matter what. And these two smiling faces always do. These are my wife and my two dogs. No matter how upset, mad, or indifferent I am, they always make me feel better than I did before I saw them. Getting to be around family so much lately has been wonderful. Especially seeing my sister with her family. We've gotten much closer, and I think we both know we need each other to keep getting through such tough times. But we both also have wonderful significant others that are amazing at reassuring us that everything will be ok, no matter how dark it gets inside. 

-Dave

RIP: Lando Calrissian

    Letting go of someone is hard, hence why I'm not going to do it. On August, 28th 2011, my brother Jake went on his final epic hike, and never came back. Fortunately for him, he was able to reach the summit of the seldom climbed unnamed mountain of "8888". It is named "8888" by the park service due to its height above sea level at it's peak. Jake had planned quite a great hike that day, probably one of his toughest. According to a few of his friends/coworkers, he was planning on doing at least 5 peaks in one day. About 30miles of hiking, and god knows how many vertical feet of ascension. All of the other peaks he planned on this hike, he had reached the summit before, but 8888 was on the list now. The hard part about this hike is getting around the peak of 8888 and continue to move along the ridge line. The whole North side of the peak is sheer cliffs of 800 feet or more. Which means, you've either got to have technical climbing gear and knowledge to descend the cliffs, or backtrack some and make your way around the sides of the mountain, most likely on some mountain goat pass.
    Knowing Jake like I do, I think it would be safe to assume he was basically having a grand ol' time skipping along the ridges along the peak, looking down over the magnitude of what surrounded him. Then, most likely, something gave way. Albeit a few loose rocks or some slick ice at those altitudes, or even a larger loose boulder that was ready to tumble. No matter the cause, something took Jake over the edge, some 800+ feet to the rocks below. 
    Hearing the news of our brother missing, my oldest brother Ben and I took off Monday night without any question and drove the 24hr drive straight to Montana. The only stop we took was so Ben could get an extra 30min of sleep at a rest stop. Other than that, we were driving non-stop. We were able to meet our parents there the next day, as they flew into Kalispell, MT out of Chicago. And those tickets are not cheap.
    All I could think about doing was getting out there and screaming through the forest and mountains after my brother, but the park service had everything under control. To be honest, I was expecting a haphazard rescue team, full of a few good climbers and the rest being a bunch of hicks forced to go out into the back country and search. I was dead wrong. On Wednesday morning at 6:30, I was able to meet with the SAR (Search and Rescue) team, and hear all of their logistics. They were pro. These guys (and girls) are good. If you think the teams of CSI and BAU you see on TV are motivated and love what they do, you need to see the National Park Service team(s). They had one of their own out there, and they weren't worried about saving a nickel on any sort of rescue effort they could throw out there. I won't get into the logistics of what they were doing, but man were they on top of their game. They had some 30+ people out night after night in the field, and some day crews going out each day as well. Plus 2 helicopters working together to drop crews in and search. It was absolutely amazing. There were also 250+ people waiting to come in and help as well. Those were just ones who were qualified to be a part of the SAR team. The list of people without proper training that were ready to help I'm sure numbered in the thousands. 
    On Thursday, Jake's girlfriend, Ben and I went for a hike on part of Jake's planned route but stayed along the Ole Creek trail, instead of hucking up the mountain. Bare in mind, there is no trails to get up to these peaks. It's all route planning, knowing the terrain and bushwhacking your way to the top. We did a little over 6 miles of hiking up the trail and got to the second river crossing before we turned back and headed back to the park to meet with the staff and my parents. That night my sister Kristin flew in as well.
    On Friday, Kristin, Ben and I hiked up a peak near Jake's route to get a look at his ridge top route. We hiked up Eagle Mountain, which isn't a long hike, but the steepness of the route itself keeps most people away. It's about a mile hike to the trail head of the route that heads up the mountain, then another 2.5 miles or so to the summit. What makes this trek so hard is the minimal amount of switchbacks. I could probably count the amount on one hand. I can't remember how much we ascended, but it sure took a lot out of my sister and I, even with how well trained we are. Ben, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be affected by altitude, so he kept us going to the top at a steady clip, stopping every 10 minutes or so to rehydrate and make sure we had plenty of nutrition in our system. 

           

    We finally reached the top, and it was absolutely worth it. We could see for miles, and look over the whole park. Peaks sprouted up all over the place, as far as we could see. But, smacked right in our face was Jake's route. Over Sheep, Bravedog and up to 8888. It was almost surreal, seeing what we knew was the area where Jake was, but having no clue where he was. I snagged a few pictures and sent one back to my parents and the liaison from the park, letting them know what time we reached the summit so they knew when about we'd be back. After yelling out a few jokes through the mountains with my sister aimed at Jake, we made out way back down. Kristin and I letting out lots of noise to keep the grizzly bears away. Ben, leading the way and keeping us moving along. Descending is almost as hard as ascending these passes. It's hard to just casually walk down, you have to make a conscious effort. But, if you start to gallop/run, the burning builds up in your legs, especially knowing you have about 2.5 miles of this ahead. Not to mention up to 50mph wind gusts creeping around the mountain as well.
    Coming close to the trail head, Kristin and I were still letting out some loud "WHOOOOP's" for Jake and the bears. We passed the cabin where one SAR team was housed each night, and noticed the Missing Person picture was gone. We tried not to think too much of it, since it was terribly windy. About 1/4 mile from the trail head, we started hearing someone calling "WHOOOOOOP!" back at us, first thinking they were echoes. We all came around the corner and met head on with our parents. 
    Instantly, my heart raced. Every emotion went through my body all at once and I almost lost my feet. I had no idea what they were going to say. But then I saw my mom put her hands up to her mouth and started shaking her head, and knew the news wasn't good. Then right away, my dad told us the bad news, that Jake didn't make it. He had fallen off the cliffs and died almost 100% certain on impact from an 800+ foot fall. As if your brother dying instantly is any consolation, I really don't think so. But knowing he wasn't in pain, does make the thought a little easier to bear. 
    After hearing the news, my body didn't know how to react, so it just broke down and I fell to my knees in the middle of the trail. So many thoughts ran through my head... I should have been out there with him. It should have been me.  He's too good of a hiker for this to happen... At one point I wanted to sprint all the way to 8888 and go see him and tell him everything would be ok. I had no idea what to do. Words couldn't describe my emotions at this point. He was my best friend. Growing up we did everything together. We were only 15 months apart, and basically twins. People always getting us confused calling me Jake and him David, even today at ages 25 and 27. 
    One of the hardest parts for me was deciding how to tell my wife. She was on her way out, and stuck on a layover in Minnesota. But, in this digital age, I was sure she'd get a message before I could let her get all the way to Montana and tell her in person, which I wanted to do. So I had to bite the bullet and tell her on the phone, while she waited in the middle of the airport, alone. I felt so terrible, but there was no way in hell I was going to let anyone else but me deliver the bad news to her. The only person who may know more about me than her was Jake, so I wanted to make sure I was the one to talk to her first. We both took it very hard, but once she was in Glacier, she helped me stay as positive as I could, and was right there by my side to make sure I was doing ok. I thank God she made it out and was there to support both me and my family. She truly is a blessing.
    Jake was a different kind of guy, and that's why so many people love him. He's quirky and funny, but also extremely smart and well read. Probably the best Trivial Pursuit player in the history of mankind. The reason this is RIP: Lando Calrissian and not Jacob Rigby, is because when he'd sign the registers on top of the summits, he would sign it Lando and not anything else. Always a joker, I'm quite sure he enjoys seeing those come after him being confused. "Who the heck is Lando?"
    After talking with some of his fellow NPS workers, they have made it their mission to get that mountain named, and named after him. But, after some thought, and knowing Jake's ideals, they came up with a much better idea. See, Jake has always hated the fact that so many mountains have been named after old white guys who probably never climbed, but just had a lot of money and such. So, instead of some stupid name like Jake's peak or Rigby Mountain, they've decided to go after it as Mount Lando. Truly fitting. 
    Jake's spirit will never die in that park. He'll be there, watching over all the lone hikers and seeing they return safely. He loved his life out there, and we all realized while being out there, why it was so hard for him to come home. It was simply beautiful. And the people he was with out there, were just as amazing. His coworkers are absolutely a blast, and his girlfriend is wonderful as well. 
    Jake had so many more mountains to climb, and so many more pow days out west to ski, he was truly robbed of so many more wonderful experiences in his life. But, I have to think that God has bigger plans for him. I'm just curious as to what they are, since he so positively effected so many people here on earth. At his memorial at our local church, hundreds of people showed up, making the service standing room only, and outside at that. Lisa came (which I didn't know until later) and told me she had to stand outside. It speaks volumes about how much of an impact one person can have. Directly or indirectly, Jake changed the lives of every person there that day. He was truly a once in a lifetime person to meet. I'm so happy to have been his baby brother, and it makes me so proud to talk about all the amazing things he's done. Jake, you will be missed until my time comes. But until then, I'm going to grab life by the horns for both of us, and ride the crap out of it until I'm thrown just as hard as you. Thanks for being such a great brother and best friend. 

-Dave