The High Cost of Living

You sir, are more dedicated than myself. I make it out to some local parks/nearby national forests/campgrounds when I have the chance. Maybe one or two larger self-supported trips a year. I DO wish I had the time to put into it as you do!

OH crap. I just read that this DOESN'T include backpacking. I only backpack.

I am envious.

I have 3 children – 2 are in competitive swimming and 1 is in competitive gymnastics. After tax, it costs me just over $10,000 annually. And I don't get to the mountains nearly as much as I would like, for obvious reasons.

If the bank is already broken, you might as well sign up for the Death Valley Trail Marathon
. Its $110, on Dec 4th, and you get to run through Titus Canyon. See you there?

It's all relative. My schedule has not always supported getting out as much as I am now, be it trips, events, or simply training. I've paid my dues: working full time, going to grad school 4 nights/week as soon as I was off work, getting home at 9 at night to my wife and two children…

Now that life has settled down and I have the time, I'm trying to figure out how to find the money without going and losing the time again! The vicious circle.

Not to mention the many athletes I know that make me feel like a total slacker, like I should be working 3x harder. I split a lane with a lady at the pool last night and got to talking: she was a 9 time Ironman finisher, not to mention multiple Boston Marathons…Her workouts: 1.5-3 hours a day, split into two sessions, her runs typically starting at 4-4:30 AM. Capping off the week were 4-7 hour long runs/rides every Sat/Sun. She was also an attorney. And married w/kids. Granted, she might not know their names…but WTF, where do these people come from!?

Brandon, I would like to run Death Valley. I've done a good deal of distance cycling there, but never a run.
I look at this race every year…now you've got me thinking!
If I end up going for it, I'll certainly send you a PM.

Edit: Now you've gone and done it. I just remembered that it was only a few days ago that my wife was saying we should get someone to watch the kids so we could go to Death Valley this winter….I can definitely see a plan in the works….I run the marathon, she hangs out in the hot springs and relaxes for a day….dinner and drinks at the bar that night….Who could argue?
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David: I know how it is. Both my kids swim as well; that's another $200/month, not to mention gas and time.

The first marathon would kill me, so it would be really cheap after that — I'm insured for the burial costs :)

To quote George Bernard Shaw, “Youth is wasted on the young.”

After years of day care, private education, and college for my brood, my hiking costs are trivial!

In a way, I was always glad that my kids were never that into sports. Guess they realized they had my talent.

Marathons? R2R2R? I don't see how anyone can run like that. I just had running. Cycling is OK.

My big and expensive event will be the PCT next year. I will have to take a two month leave of absense not to mention the 5 pairs of shoes and other consumable gear.

That R2R2R trip sounds interesting. I had been thinking about doing that as a final warmup before I leave in May.