Great lesson movie!

I watched this great Pixar movie "Ratatouille" . This is a great example about somebody, well, a rat, has a lot of pride in something and can be very good at. This rat, named Remy, loves food and to cook. All the other rats don't really care about what they eat and how it taste so they just each garbage. But, there's Remy, loves the taste of great food and wants to be a cook. He accidently ended up in Paris and looks for a new career by secretly helping somebody(a human who suddenly believes this rat can cook good food) to cook like the way the rat does. Everybody loves his food and the rat ends up being a head chef in his own restaurant called "Ratatouille".
Anyways, the point is that this rat had a real talent and was good at it. If you love to do something and have so much pride in it, like metalworking, woodworking, sewing, motorcyles, fishing, a sport like basketball, cycling, golfing, or whatever, then you can spend more time on it and especially enjoy, then you have a talent. You can get better and better at it everyday, it gives you something to work on. That is why life is good, everyone can choose what they want to do, then do it spectacular, and be very talented. (Doing drugs is not a talent, so stay out of drugs). So, I thought this movie was a good lesson movie for kids AND adults all around. I loved this movie!

Beaver Mountain: Ski fun for Dan Barlow!

This is what Beaver Mountain looked like today(December 31, 2007). It snowed 18 inches of new snow the day before! I went up and I could ski fresh powder everywhere, first tracks! I had fun especially on the Lue's Run and Stan's Bozanza. There weren't any mogals but great powder to make new mogals all day! It was the one of my best ski trips I had for a long time, skied great, fresh 18 inches of new powder, wrecked only twice, great sunny day. Oh yeah, they didn't groom anything! Powder Heaven!

Ski the Beav!

Snowbird is next! Look at all the black diamonds! Some black diamond heaven!

Snowbird is the next ski trip, maybe next week or two weeks! Right before I get my arm restitched.

My cycling training schedule....for the last 10 years.

The Brianhead race which I finished 3rd in the sport class in 1997, the year I started some serious mountain bike training.


In March 1997, I spent some time reading a cycling training book I bought at a bookstore in Provo right after I finished benching in the Manti High School basketball team which I hated more than I ever did in the world. I decided from day 2 of basketball practice, I would quit once the season's over and not ever come back to tryouts the next year. I decided to do something else, something I enjoyed on the summer before, mountain biking. I thought I could use some kind of goals to work on and get some competition out of it because I like "competition". Like mountain bike racing. I decided to race a couple times that year and needed to start thinking about getting in shape for it. I planned out a training schedule that consists of Vo2 Max training, aneraorobic threshold, endurance, and recovery. Vo2 Max training should be sprints on the bike going as fast as you can for 15-30 seconds and recover for a few minutes and repeat 5-6 times. Aneraorobic threshold is an interval training at 85-90% of max heart rate for 3-20 minutes, recover 2-10 minutes and repeat. Endurance should be long rides at 65-75% of maximum heart rate for one to five hours. Recovery should be done the day after a hard ride or race and should just spin easily at 55-65% of max heart rate.

This is the schedule I do for spring and summer:

Mon. rest
Tues. Vo2 Max training
Wed. Aneraorobic threshold training(on climbs)
Thurs. recovery
Fri. rest
Sat. climb that lasts 45-90 min.
Sun. Endurance ride on the road bike on flat roads(nice Sunday rides after church)

When I train, I train in 3 week blocks and rest all week on every 4th week. The first week I just start out small, like do two intervals and climb for 30 min. Then the second week, I do a little more, like do 3 intervals and climb for 40 min. The third week, a little more(4 intervals and climb for 50 min. Then the next 3 week block, on the first week, I do the same as I did on the second week in the first 3 week block and just build up. In June and July, is when it peaks up to where I get up to 6-7 intervals during the week and a 90 minute climb on Saturday. Then after that, you should do a lot more recovery rides and still do a lot of climbing.

In the fall, I like to just do long endurance rides with friends every Saturday. Nov. is reserved for active rest. Middle of Dec. is when I start do winter training like ride the stationary trainer once in the middle of the week for 60 minutes with intervals and snowshoeing in the mountains on Saturday, like a climb that last 45 minutes. Also do strength training(especially for the legs) once or twice a week. Then plyometrics twice a week instead of strength training during the last 6-8 weeks of the winter.

Well, that's what I have been doing.

My Highlights of 2007

Well, 2007 is coming to an end and 2008 is just around the corner. In the past few days I have been thinking about all the good things that happened in 2007, it was good, reeeeeeeeally good. I can't think any bad thing that happened this year, I had a goal last year to make 2007 positive and well, I think I achieved my goal. Mostly to find a really good job I enjoy. Well, here's a list of things I did in 2007(in order):

1.Screwed Todd Alder.
2.Road biked on the canyon road during those fun cold days.
3.Mountain biked all spring and summer.
4.Went on more road bike trips that contain 2-3 hours(with other local riders).
5.Remodeled mom's house(shingles, tore off carpet, repainted walls, mantle, new closet doors).
6.Spent more time in the mountains.
7.Went to Sundance and Park City to bike about 5 times this summer.
8.Went camping with brothers and sisters at Blue Lake.
9.North Carolina trip.
10.Park City trip with Mike and Laura.
11.Climbed the Widowmaker twice on road bike(Fairview Canyon).
12.Got a job at Custom Cabinets by Brent as a cabinetmaker assistant.
13.Worked my ass off.
14.Got a girlfriend(Niki).
15.Bought dad a christmas present.

Well, that is all I can think of, if I missed anything let me know and write it down in the comments for me. I think 2007 was the best year I had.

Next year in 2008, I plan to:

1.Keep it up with Niki.
2.Do more strength training.
3.Snowshoe all winter.
4.Get my arm restitched.
5.Get Sikk Trailbike.
6.Work my ass off.
7.Bike a lot.
8.Train better.
9.Finish my cabin(porch).
10.Climb the Widowmaker 3 times and climb Nebo Loop once.
11.Park City biking.
12.North Carolina.
13.Stay in the mountains.
14.Family Reunion.

I think that's it so far.

Christmas 2007

This Christmas was a another great Christmas, I got a few things and I am really satisfied on what I got. First, I got the Stamina Products Home Gym, I call it "the bungee cord gym", it works by 3 large bungee cords in different thicknesses on each side. It works great! It is not too bulky but it is great for myself for the bicycle winter training program. It doesn't have too much resistance for those guys like Arnold Schartzegger but good enough resistance for strength training, not bulk training. Just perfect for myself. I used it today and did a few exercises like the bench press, lateral pulldown, shoulder press, rows, pulldown, leg extensions, and leg curls. And I loved it! The only thing I was disappointed about was there is not enough resistance for the leg press, yes you can do the leg press on it, pretty cool though. I thought it was cool and was excited about it then I tried with the most resistance, then it felt easy. I figured, maybe I have pretty good strong legs from all that cycling? Probably. Anyways, that is ok because I can buy some dumbbells and do regular squats like what I have been doing and do walking lunges with dumbbells also which is a very good exercise for cycling. Those are the most important exercises for cycling though. I have a workout manual for the gym and I think I am going to have a lot of fun.

This is the leg press picture on how you do it. It is kind of cool you can do something like that on that machine. I am a little disappointed that is not enough resistance for my legs but I can do some rows on it. You can do rowing exercises on it! Pretty sweet. Dumbbells will work for my legs like doing squats, step ups, and walking lunges, for cycling.

I also got a Garmin navigator that straps around your wrist! I really like it. Tony, Shelly, and Karen, I got it to work finally and works great. It probably won't work for thick forests but really good in open areas. It is designed for runners, hikers, and cyclists. I can strap it around my handlebar too. It has training modes in it(like interval training),distance, speedometer, timer, etc. It also has elevation. The elevation here is 5,484 ft. Pretty cool. I can also hook it up to my computer and record data.

This would be great for my work when I am installing cabinets, I take my drill with me everytime I go install cabinets. This would be great for my DeWalt screwgun needs, I really like it and it's got a pretty durable case. Titanium drill bits, lot's of screwbits and so on. Becky gave me this.

Mike and Laura, thanks for the hammock. I think I will use it a lot. Good gift.

The greatest snowshoe trip so far...

I went snowshoeing today on Christmas Eve at Fairview Skyline. Sorry, I forgot the camera this time but I feel real bad I didn't because I could have taken really good pictures this time. This trip I went on ledge of a hill with snow drifts on one side and a steep slope on the other side that goes down a canyon. It was a clear day this morning and you can see it all stormy in Provo/Salt Lake area, real beatiful morning. I went at 10:00 am this time and got through at noon. I climbed along this ridge and kept climbing up to the top, the hill was so steep and my heart rate was at the maxinum rate, great views at the left(Ephraim), at the right(Indianola area), at the front(Mt. Nebo), and the behind(Fairview Lakes). I made it at the top at 11,000 feet and I was sweaty hot! It was a lot harder to breathe in that elevation and now my brain is starving for some valley oxygen, I feel a little lightheaded because I am not used to exercising that high. But it was really great. I am glad I went, better weather this time, wasn't stormy and it was very sunny. I will definitely do it again because I loved the hike, I will take pictures next time(hopefully next week) on a clear day so you can see everything.

Hit the gym!

If you are not a bike climber, you wouldn't get this joke.

Dog vest for sale...

I will sell this vest for $100. Your dog with a vest will make a huge difference in your lives and the dog's life. Without the vest, your dog couldn't go into stores, restaurants, the zoo, Disneyland, the beach, motels, apartments, etc. It would save you a lot of money from kennel time when you go to the beach or on a vacation, a whole lot of money. Your dog will be happy and you will be happy. I will sell it to you but don't tell Becky. I will just send it to you after you send me the check and then Becky will buy another when she can't find the one I sent to you. Good deal?

My Tractor Experience This Morning...

This snowy morning at work, there was 6 inches on the ground and my boss asked me to plow up the snow in front of storage units next door with a tractor. Yes! A tractor! I was kind of nervous at first because I never driven a tractor before and the tractor he has is an antique. A 1950 something Massey Ferguson tractor and it runs great! It was well taken care of and really nice. My boss said it is like driving a car with a stick but only 3 speeds. I tried it and it was easy! The snow plow was in the middle and under the tractor, between the front and back tires. My boss and I put chains on the rear tires and there I went! It was actually fun! Even in the 15 degree temperature, I didn't even think about it and was having too much fun that I have to tell everybody. I plowed up the whole driveway and parking space in front of the storage units. I thought I did a good job. Now people can get their storage. A van and truck went there while I plowed and they said thanks. I was out there for an hour and the seat was metal and my butt was freezing and felt numb when I was done. I went straight to the wood stove in our shop and warmed up for 20 minutes before we started working. What a great tractor experience!

Christmas is coming, Daniel is getting Fat!

Holy crap, look at all the presents! They are mostly all Becky's though. Everyday, I see one or two new presents under the tree. I wonder if Santa Claus comes to our house everyday during the two weeks before Christmas instead all of them on Christmas morning. I think he wants to get us(the grownups) done before Christmas Eve so he can have more time to do just the kids on that night. How nice of him. I hope we get a good Christmas this year because I feel like I have been a good boy this year. Working hard at work, being nice to folks, and going to church. It looks like I have been a good boy because look at the big two presents below!

Gee, I wonder what's in there?

Merry Christmas. Sincerely, Dancool.

Snowshoeing in Ephraim Canyon...

Willow Creek

Sadie came with me....Duke got lost down at the bottom, so he went back to the car and waited for us. Such a good dog that he waited for us, not wandering around.

Virgil Ash's Mongolian tent at Willow Creek trail. Too bad he wasn't there because I could of paid him a visit in that heated tent.

The town below

I went snowshoeing in Ephraim Canyon today, nope, not Fairview this time. Didn't have enough money to go to Fairview. In fact, I kind of enjoyed Ephraim Canyon more than Fairview Skyline this time, the snow wasn't so deep and you could actually go somewhere and climb hills. I was planning to go to Taylor's Flat and then on the flat part of the Flume trail but since the snow wasn't so deep, I thought I could get a better workout by going someplace more adventurous and hilly, I went up on the Willow Creek Trail. Yes, that is a steep trail and it was a good hill climbing workout, since I like climbing, I went up all the way to Virgil Ash's tent(little below the A-frame house on Bald Mountain) and back down. I made it to Virgil's tent in 45-50 minutes, that is pretty good since it is an elevation gain at about 1,250 feet, on shoeshoes. I really enjoyed this trip and Sadie went up with me, Duke was going to but he got lost when we started going up so he went back to the car and waited the whole time we went(hour and a half). Duke is a really good patient dog. Knows what he is doing I guess. There were a ton of snowmobilers going up and down the Epraim Canyon Main Road, I could hear all them while I was going up the trail. This was a really good snowshoe trip.

Snowshoe! Snowshoe! Snowshoe!

My snowshoe tracks behind me.

It snowed.

Then it cleared up.

Then it snowed again!

Gorgeous.


I woke up Saturday morning expecting there would be a lot of snow on the ground after listening to the weather man all week about how it was going to storm Friday night with 80% chance with accumulation of 2-5 inches in the valleys. But there was not one drop of snow. I thought that was kind of good news and that means I could go up to Fairview Canyon on clear roads and hoping it snowed a lot there. On a beautiful sunny Saturday morning, I ate some cereal and orange juice and got ready. I left at 11:00 a.m. and got to Fairview Skyline at noon and it was snowing a little bit, the roads were plowed though so that was good. On the way, I saw a whole lot of snowboarders, sledders, and snowmobilers. I got where no one was in a forest covered with snow. I strapped my snowshoes on my feet and got my poles and started. It started with a long hill and I climbed and climbed then it flattened out when I got into the forest, it was snowing the whole time. The snow was so deep that it was hard to walk and was making my heart pumping fast. After I got out of the forest, the skies were clearing up with sun shining, it was pretty. I went downhill and got back to the road and snowshoeed on the side of the road for a half of mile until the car. Then it fogged up and started snowing again. I got back at 1:30 p.m. so that means I went out there for an hour and a half. I drove back home in a snowstorm but the roads were still clear. It was a great dinky rinky little snowy snowshoe trip and a good workout! I had fun and plan on going next week and hoping it won't snow that time.

The Truth Behind Artificial Sweeteners

I read out of one of my magazines lastnight and read about nutrition. I read about sugars and artificial sugars. This what exactly what the article said about artificial sweeneters, I am copying it down every letter of it, so here goes:

One way to cut back on sugar without giving up treats is to dupe your sweet tooth with artificial sweeteners. These chemicals are anywhere from 200 to 2,000 times sweeter than sugar, so they pack a lot of sweeteners without the calories.

In theory, these products, such as Sweet 'N Low, Splenda, and Nutrasweet, should help you keep your weight in check. In reality, artificial sweeteners have not been found to help people cut calories and lose weight. In fact, one recent study found the opposite to be true.

In an eight-year study of 1,550 soda drinkers ages 25-64, researchers found that those who drank diet soft drinks were at a greater risk becoming overweight than those who sipped sugary sodas. In fact, for each can of diet soft drink consumed per day, a person's risk of obesity went up 41 percent. While this study may show only that people who drink lots of diet soda are trying(and ultimately failing) to control a weight problem, it also may say something about how the body responds to being tricked. Researchers speculate that offering your body something that tastes like sugar without delivering calories it's expecting may actually sharpen your sweet craving and lead you to eat more later on. In the end, it's wise to use artificial sweeteners much as you do the real deal: in moderation.-Selene Yeager

Myself, I don't, never have, never will drink that shit. In my opinion, you are better off drinking real sugary drinks than artificial drinks. Artificial drinks give me a stinkin' headache anyway, so that is how I know it is bad for me. If you drink artificial drinks, you would gain more weight than you would drinking sugary drinks. I drink 2 cans of fruit punch or lemonade for lunch a day and the rest is water. Water is good for you and most people don't drink enough water. Your pee should be clear or almost yellow, you don't want it to be really orange yellow that it stinks so much which can lead to dehydration and feel more tired. Also, you want to drink a lot water to clean out your system, every day, which can lead from you getting sick all the time.

Here's a list of drinks to stay away from:

Diet sodas

Soda pop (carbonated water)

Hardcore energy drinks

Caffeine

List of drinks is ok with you:

Noncarbonated sugary drinks

Koolaid

Hot chocolate

Eggnog

Milk

Juice

Water(the most important, should drink 8 glasses a day!)

For you Diet Coke drinkers, might as well drink the real stuff(Coca Cola), after reading all this. But don't drink like ten cans a day, you only need one to two cans day. Coca Cola is even bad for you anyway so tough luck. Drink water, if you really care about your health. Tip how to drink water: EXERCISE, cardiovascular fitness with make your heart pump and blood move fast. Your body will be thirsty for water, not carbonated water. Also be really thirsty for juice! Juice is good.

What Dr. James Stevens, R.D. said about real sugar: "How your body uses sugar and what kind it uses depends on whether you're sedetary, active or exercising intensely. Unless you're exercising, there's no need to consume added sugar."

I was NOT miserable...

I had thermals, ski pants, $200 ski parka, thermal socks, thermal shoes, hat, ski gloves, I dressed up like I was going on a ski trip and everybody else was wearing just Levis and $20 coats and casual gloves and shoes. I was so hot and toasty and everybody else looked like they all wanted to just go home. "Be Prepared" Use the slogan. I had a good time except for the part when Snow College lost Butler in a national game in the Rice-Eccles stadium. It was the first time I went to a game in a big football stadium like that, it was fun. In the snow too. I saw Dave Lanier there, and whole bunch of other crazy people I know like us who would drive in a crazy snow storm to get there this morning. I was the only guy in the Elder's Quorum who went with the Elder's Quorum president, nobody else came, a bunch of wimps I guess. Maybe they are a bunch of smart guys because of the snowstorm and can watch it on kjzz tv anyway. It was a beautiful snowy day and I can now I say I went to a national championship game for the NCAA !