Happy Feet, Happy Training.

CurrexSole RunPro Insoles Medium Arch

I was recently chosen to test out a pair of Insoles from Insoles and Beyond. As the New Year just past I set a goal to start living healthier by exercising and eating better. I picked up a new pair of running shoes and they felt great. I walked and jogged about 20 miles or so before getting my new insoles. At this point my shoes felt great or so I thought. My feet would have a slight tingle after a 5 mile plus jog. I went to the Insoles and Beyond website (insolesandbeyond.com). I picked the currexSole RunPro Medium Arch support. They were shipped out and at my house in what seemed like record time. When I pulled the insoles out of the package, I gave them my little one, two, three, bend, flex and twist test. The insoles felt great in my hands and passed my test. At this point I was excited and could not wait to get them in my shoes. I went and gathered my supplies of scissors, a sharpie and flat piece of cardboard for a surface to trace my current insoles onto the new ones. Once I pulled out my old insoles I noticed they were the exact size as the new insoles. I wear a size 12 and the new insoles fit perfectly in my shoes. At first never having an arch support before the insoles felt different but it was not uncomfortable. After my first jog around the block I was sold. My shoes were comfortable before, now they are extremely comfortable. After logging about 50 miles so far I can say I am very happy and my feet are very happy to be out pounding the pavement. I don’t notice the arch support at all and love the extra support under my feet for the hard asphalt.  Also the tingle is gone when I get back home. It makes me just want to keep going down the trail. I will be getting a few more pairs for my gym shoes to my hunting boots.

Side profile of the medium arch support.

Insoles after 50 plus miles still strong.

Perfect fit in my running shoes.

The Insoles are priced 49.95. That might seem a bit high but when it comes to your feet remember you get what you pay for.

Im back, After a long break from the blog I'm back. I have been working on a lot of projects from BBQ to The Elk Experiment. I partnered with Real Steel Pits this year and have been loving my custom pit. It smokes meat like no other, if you are looking for a new pit check them out. I have also started a documentary on my journey from an average beer drinker to a backpacking Elk hunter. I started The Elk Experiment January 6. I will be filming my adventure every step of the way. I am really looking forward to hunting in 2014. I have trips planned to Colorado for Elk, Bear, and possibly Deer. I will also be going to Missouri to hunt a 300 acre family plot. I will be traveling out there prior to season to build a food plot and set cams to see what bucks are on the land. I also have my local California hunts I am planning this year. I have to figure out what tags I am going to apply for. I am thinking of D-14 so we can back pack into San Gorgonio.  I am also going back and forth on Big Pine (A-17) and the Angeles National Forest (A-31). I also have a great chance at some local wild pigs in an undisclosed location. Plus spring turkey is just around the corner I am feeling that 2014 will be a great year. We will doing a lot more gear reviews, insight and all other things hunting, fishing and fitness. So keep checking in and watch this little blog grow.

A Great Start to a New Year.

This has been a great year so far. I have been working hard at losing weight and getting in to better shape. I head to the gym every morning before work and get a good 2 hour work out in. That treadmill kicks my butt. I  have also been shooting as much as I can. Coming up on March 9-10 is the San Gabriel Big Horn Sheep survey. Me and 5-6 of my buddies will heaed out to find the majestic mountain sheep. Plus we can scope new area for deer hunting. So it is a win win. I am excited to get out and see how good of shape I am really in. The last trip of deer season was a tough one. I was beat hiking out. Now this year I want to be like our hunting partner Brandon. He files up and down those hills. I have been hitting the incline hard to make sure I am in 100% better shape than year (not round). I also just found out my girlfriend and I will be haveing a baby boy. So add a new hunter to the list.

TRI-TIP Anyone?

Over the weekend was the Yearly Tri-Tip Cookoff at Glory Days. We had 10 pitmasters all gunning for the bragging rights of best Tri-Tip for the year. Of course a little side wager was in order but thats just for the cooks. I changed up my Tri-tip this year doing a little different marinade and dry rub. I just brought down the the little weber this year and I left my offset at the house, partly because I can't load it up by myself and I was lazy. All in all I did great, I took 3rd place moving up 2 spots from last year. Maybe my little Weber is on to something. The best for me was Dick and his son enjoy piece after piece of my tri-tip. My dad and Sue made it out to join in and get some free tri-tip. Once again it was great to see everyone and make some new friends. There will be a Rib off this year and a chance at pork shoulder. I cant wait, nothing better than a good day in the sun cooking up some good cuts of meat.

A New Year and a New Me

To say I let myself go at the end of 2012 would be an understatement. I hurt my knee mid way through the year putting my training on hold. I figured instead of hurting myself more, I would take it easy and only get out when I hunted. With good neighbors and warm days all the way till mid December I had now problem have a few man soda's while talking to my neighbors in the garage. All the beer, candy and sweet snacsk added up to a decent weight gain. So now with the new year comes a new me.

First to quote one of my hunting mentors Cameron Hanes, "Be Better Today Than Yesterday and Better Tomorrow Than Today." If you think about it, that is a great way to think. I see to many people start out the new year with weight loss goals that are out of reach. They end up burning themselves out in a month or so. You need to start with waht you can handle. I started the new year walking a mile or 2 a day. I a week I felt better and was able to bump up to 3 miles. I know I can go out and hike 10 miles. I did this hunting season and not on flat ground. The next day I did not want to do any physical exercise. With that being said I was able to walk 4 miles yesterday in under an hour. Pretty good for only going about a week. So as long as I can be better than yesterday I am doing alright.

Asfor hunting this past year, I ended the season with nothing. No deer or bear, I still have a month or so on the bobcats but I dont see much time in the near future. So tag soup it was. I am not that discouraged though. The last hunt of our season I was albe to put on my first stalk and close the gap from 200 yards down to 80. At that point the wind changed and blew my stalk. It was a great feeling, knowing just 80 below me were 5 deer. 20-30 yards more and I could have sealed the deal. So now on to next season. The training has begun and its time to get ready to pack out my deer for next season. Stay tuned for a better Bum'n with a Stick and String.

A-31 Saturday Hunt

I lay in my bed and watch as the clock hits 2:45am, knowing I only have a few more seconds before my alarm goes off. I get up and out of bed, turn off my alarm before it goes off and wakes up my girlfriend. Into the shower, get dressed and load up my pack with water and food. 3:25 I hear my buddy Al pull up out front. It is go time.. Saturday was the first day of D-11 Rifle season. But we are Bow Hunters so it was stick and string against the smoke sticks.

We made the hour drive to our spot and beat our other buddy Brandon to the spot. He pulled in about 3 minutes behind us. We were the only 2 trucks in the spot.We now only have 2 miles to get to our hunting spot for the day. A great vantage point over looking a great drainage and a few bowls to glass as the morning sun would be coming up at any time.When we got out of the truck it was 41 degrees. It was chilly but way better than the heat. Jackets came out and we started the slow hike in not wanting to spook anything or work up a sweat. Took us about an hour to get to where we wanted to be. Once we got set a slight breeze was blowing and I was freezing. I pulled out my head cover and covered up.

The last time in this spot it was about 90 degrees so this was a welcoming cold. As the sun cam up the hills came life birds chirping. About a half hour or so and I see him walking down the road. A lone gun hunter looking for his spot to call home for the day. We were about a mile from him and had no clue we were there. It felt weird knowing I could see him and he could not see me. I love my Mossy Oak Brush Camo it blends in so well to the area we were. After about 20 minutes the hunter has got set at the bottom of the drainage. I  get a text from Brandon that he is facing up our way. To be safe the orange hats came out. I don't know if the hunter ever saw us but it must have been pretty funny to stare at a hillside, then in a blink of an eye 3 orange dots above you appear.

We could see a few more smoke sticks on the surrounding hills walking in circles. We met up on top of a hill and decided to head east to check out a new area that had trails like a super highway. We could not see them from our previous scouting trips. The wind picked up to 25-30mph constant. Al and I hiked out a new way to check out another finger and we were back at the truck by 3pm. Got home cleaned up and off to my neighbors for Burgers and Beers. Till Next time

Catching Up.

Well to say I stepped away from the keyboard is an understatement. I have had tons of things on my plate the last few months. We had to let our secretary go and W have been taking in all the slack. As for hunting I have been able to get out a few times this year. I went out in Big Bear for archery deer opener. I was up the whole week and hunted everyday but Thursday. I scoured that mountain from front to back and one more time over. I did find a great spot for bear. Finding a parking spot was another task with no turn outs or even a brush clearing to pull off into. So after spending little time there it was back to it. All in all a pretty lack lust trip being alone in mountain land made the heart race. I saw does and fawns but never saw a quality shooter. Big Bear is a tough place to hunt. I only saw one hunter the whole time up there. Thursday I need a little R&R so off to Big Bear Golf Course for a quick 9 holes. It was great to take some time and just enjoy the mountain air with out lugging my pack and bow. As for my local A-31 we have hit the hills a few times seeing more deer in one day than the whole time in Big Bear. We have a great looking 3x3 a few forkies and tones of does. This should bring us all success hopefully. Brandon, Al (socalbowhunter.com) and myself have been hitting the range at least once a week and I have been shooting in my back yard a lot. I have already shot through my 18-1 Rinehart in a little over 6 months. G5 montec practice tips tore it up. We are a week away from Rifle season here in So Cal. I will be updating more and am going to start posting pics soon.