Over the past few months, since the world premiere of "Least Visited", scores of you have asked what our next adventure / movie will be. After much consideration, and inspiration from our friend Devon Doran (who I owe at least 3 phone calls), Coop and I have decided to engage in a bit of history with a throwback journey.
In early June Coop and I will undertake a 320 some odd journey from Washington, DC to Pittsburgh. Our hike will take us along the tow path of the C&O Canal from Georgetown to Cumberland, Maryland. In Cumberland we will pick the Great Allegheny Passage, a rails to trails trail connecting Cumberland to Pittsburgh. In addition to the challenge of this multi-day (20 to 30) hike, and camping along the trail, we traveling through many places that have impacted and shaped the history of our country. The most notable of which is probably Antietam, site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.
Over the next few months we will fill you in on our preparation and some of the notable spots on the trail. In the meantime if you want more information on either the C&O Canal or the GAP you can visit their websites. The entire length of the canal is a national park and information can be found at, http://www.nps.gov/pohe/index.htm. For the GAP, information can be found at, http://www.gaptrail.org/.
We'll be tweeting, wailerwoo, and updating our facebook pages as well as proving links and updates here.
A note about Devon. A few years back he and his brother Darren rode the trail from Pittsburgh to Washington. Ever since I have had it on the back burner and when Coop said he was up for the challenge, it was on.
In the meantime we plan on getting our dog fix by heading up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to volunteer at a checkpoint for the UP200 sled dog race. We'll be in Munising, along the shores of Lake Superior. We will also get a chance to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Sort of our mini-adventure to get us ready for the big one in June. We'll have a few reports from up there as well.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Saturday, June 13, 2009
www.wailerwoo.com
We are officially on line at www.wailerwoo.com. Please stop by and let me know what you think. Tell your friends. Tell your family. We have a whole suite of services that we offer and not matter what the size and scope of your creative needs are, we can help.
Coop and I are getting ready to ride the rails as we head north. More to come in the near future.
Coop and I are getting ready to ride the rails as we head north. More to come in the near future.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Badlands - Part 1
On our first trip into the backcountry we ventured into Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Just outside of Medora, North Dakota is the south unit of the park which is where Roosevelt first came in 1883 to hunt buffalo. He bought a ranch , which he named Maltese Cross Ranch, 8 miles south of Medora. The rough and tumble nature of the place toughened him up and he always stated that, "I would not have been President had it not been for my experience in North Dakota."
It is truly one of the most spectacularly beautiful places I have ever been and we hope that you will enjoy this little snippet of our trip.
As a reminder you can find all of the uploaded clips on the youtube channel, wailerwoo.
It is truly one of the most spectacularly beautiful places I have ever been and we hope that you will enjoy this little snippet of our trip.
As a reminder you can find all of the uploaded clips on the youtube channel, wailerwoo.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Rugby, ND
A quick look at the wonder and excitement that is the geographical center of North America... Rugby, ND. Also posted on our youtube channel, wailerwoo.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Least Visited... New Salem, ND
Production on Least Visited, North Dakota is in full swing. Check by for a look at the dailies, or regularlys for a look at our progress. First up is our stop to milk the world's largest cow, Salem Sue. You may also see this and other videos on our youtube channel, wailerwoo.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Half...
The alarm went off at 4:45AM. As worried as I was about oversleeping, nervous energy and anticipation kept me from any meaningful sleep as I lay in bed waiting for the the alarm to ring. After three months of training I was launching into the final preparations before I set off to Cleveland. Oatmeal... check. Coffee... check. Clothes for running in the cold... check. Fresh clothes for the ride home... check.
By 5:30 it is still remarkably dark. Stepping outside the only light was provided by the waxing crescent sitting high above the treetops. I’m on my way, on time, to Strongsville, Ohio to run in my first ever half marathon. It gets rarer as you notch up the years that you find yourself on the cusp of a truly new experience and that is where I find myself as I drive in the dark heading west. My first goal of the day was to arrive an hour before the race started so I could stretch and warm up. I had promised Hyle, running her second half marathon, that it would be in the upper 30’s. I was wrong. Upon arrival it was 14 degrees. Hyle, built like a runner with precious little in the way of an insulating layer, was not to happy that I had missed on the temperature by a mere 20 some odd degrees.
For an hour we stretched, warmed up, caught up and shivered. It was cold. We were dressed for running not standing around in the cold and wind. I was calm and a little nervous as we waited on the starting line. My longest training run was 7.5 miles. A good distance, more then half of what I was getting ready to run but as I waited to start it seemed nowhere in the neighborhood of 13.1 miles. I was cold, nervous, excited and wondering what had I gotten myself into. Looking around at the other runners I am wondering a little bit if I really belong here. All of my training has been by myself. Most of it has been on a track, the one concession to my knee which still periodically lets me know that it had a pretty serious boo-boo. As these doubts begin to sink in, there are some pretty serious looking runners around me, all I want is to stop making small talk and get this thing started.
All the advice I received from friends was pretty consistent and, unintentionally, ignored. Start slow. Don’t get pulled ahead by the pack. Run your own race. Great advice. Great plan. It is a recipe for success. The race starts and Hyle and I are in the middle front of the pack. We are weaving and dodging through and around slower runners, a familiar situation for a youngest child, just trying to keep up. As we approach the first mile I’m feeling pretty good. I’m still running on adrenaline so it does not feel like I’m working too hard. As we pass the timer I slide in close to be sure I hear the time. 7:50. I have managed in the first mile to not even come close running the race I intended. It’s way too fast and if I do not back it down there will be consequences later. I back it off and let Hyle slowly ease ahead. As much as I try to crank down my pace it is hard to let people pass. Not the really fast runners that seem to fly by but the slower ones that slide by almost imperceptibly. I am constantly wondering if I have that slightly faster pace in me and if I could carry it to the finish. The positive of allowing somebody else to pace you is you do not have to think. I look at the heels of the runner I am pacing off of and it is easy to get caught up in their rhythmic motion. The problem with doing this early in the race is that you can find yourself in trouble before you know it.
The course was an up and back, up and back. Relatively flat although there was about a mile section with a slight rise. Head wind going out, tail wind coming back. There were a few icy sections that required cautious, concentrated motion. The 4 mile mark was just after the first turn approaching a water station. 4 miles in, 33 minutes and change. Closer to my goal, but still pretty fast. I was excited to have hit the mark so fast for me but a little concerned whether I could carry for another 9.1 miles. This was the when I really decided to think about my pace. My goal was to run a 9 minute mile and finish in under 2 hours. At this point I had room to spare and felt pretty good. Coming into the halfway point was pretty cool. People were cheering, giving me high fives and ringing cow bells. The timing could not have been better. As I approached the halfway point I had the competing emotions of excitement that I made it halfway and deflation that I was only halfway. I appreciated the surge of adrenaline provided by the spectators who were probably only clapping to keep warm.
As I passed by mile 8 I realized I was now in uncharted territory. This was farther then I had ever run and it was the first time that a wee bit of doubt seeped into my head. I put my ipod on to provide a bit of rhythm, and a bit of distraction. I passed through mile 9 in about 1:20. 40 minutes for the last 4.1 miles, things were starting to hurt. Nothing major, but soreness was creeping in to my calves, my thighs and my feet. I began to focus on little things like my arm swing and how my feet were hitting the ground. I was getting mad that my body hurt and people who I did not think should be passing me were. I needed to refocus. For the next mile and a half or so I let the rhythm take over and everything else go blank. When I hit mile 11 I felt confident that I would run across the finish line but I had no idea whether I would reach my goal. I was letting runners pass but I was not sure yet if I could ratchet up my pace and hang with a slightly faster group. I decided to dig in and latch onto some heels.
As we drew closer to the finish I felt better and worse at the same time. I kept telling myself to ignore the discomfort and suck it up one step at a time. Stay on the heels and don’t think. At mile 12 the finish was figuratively in sight which gave me a little boost. The last 1/3 of a mile was on a narrow, twisty, icy path. My adrenaline surged. All I wanted to do was finish strong. The crowd on both sides of the path was cheering. I was trying to leg it out but there was a lot of ice and I did not want to fall. I was smiling. I was about to cry. I was going to actually do it. About 200 yard from the finish I hear Hyle, then I see her. She is clapping and cheering giving me the final surge that I need. I passed 4 people on the way to the line and finished in 1:57:43. It was almost exactly a 9 minute mile. I finished. I accomplished my goal of under 2 hours. I was feeling pretty raw. Hyle brought me hot chocolate. She told me how proud she was of me. I was proud of her (she nipped me by about 10 minutes) I was proud of myself. I was cold.
In the end it was a phenomenal experience. At the finish I could not imagine running twice that distance and doing a full marathon. This was hard enough and anyone who can finish either a full or half marathon has accomplished something special. 241st out of 444 finishers sounds pretty good.
Two days later... rested... recovered... warm... That marathon does not sound so bad. Stay tuned.
By 5:30 it is still remarkably dark. Stepping outside the only light was provided by the waxing crescent sitting high above the treetops. I’m on my way, on time, to Strongsville, Ohio to run in my first ever half marathon. It gets rarer as you notch up the years that you find yourself on the cusp of a truly new experience and that is where I find myself as I drive in the dark heading west. My first goal of the day was to arrive an hour before the race started so I could stretch and warm up. I had promised Hyle, running her second half marathon, that it would be in the upper 30’s. I was wrong. Upon arrival it was 14 degrees. Hyle, built like a runner with precious little in the way of an insulating layer, was not to happy that I had missed on the temperature by a mere 20 some odd degrees.
For an hour we stretched, warmed up, caught up and shivered. It was cold. We were dressed for running not standing around in the cold and wind. I was calm and a little nervous as we waited on the starting line. My longest training run was 7.5 miles. A good distance, more then half of what I was getting ready to run but as I waited to start it seemed nowhere in the neighborhood of 13.1 miles. I was cold, nervous, excited and wondering what had I gotten myself into. Looking around at the other runners I am wondering a little bit if I really belong here. All of my training has been by myself. Most of it has been on a track, the one concession to my knee which still periodically lets me know that it had a pretty serious boo-boo. As these doubts begin to sink in, there are some pretty serious looking runners around me, all I want is to stop making small talk and get this thing started.
All the advice I received from friends was pretty consistent and, unintentionally, ignored. Start slow. Don’t get pulled ahead by the pack. Run your own race. Great advice. Great plan. It is a recipe for success. The race starts and Hyle and I are in the middle front of the pack. We are weaving and dodging through and around slower runners, a familiar situation for a youngest child, just trying to keep up. As we approach the first mile I’m feeling pretty good. I’m still running on adrenaline so it does not feel like I’m working too hard. As we pass the timer I slide in close to be sure I hear the time. 7:50. I have managed in the first mile to not even come close running the race I intended. It’s way too fast and if I do not back it down there will be consequences later. I back it off and let Hyle slowly ease ahead. As much as I try to crank down my pace it is hard to let people pass. Not the really fast runners that seem to fly by but the slower ones that slide by almost imperceptibly. I am constantly wondering if I have that slightly faster pace in me and if I could carry it to the finish. The positive of allowing somebody else to pace you is you do not have to think. I look at the heels of the runner I am pacing off of and it is easy to get caught up in their rhythmic motion. The problem with doing this early in the race is that you can find yourself in trouble before you know it.
The course was an up and back, up and back. Relatively flat although there was about a mile section with a slight rise. Head wind going out, tail wind coming back. There were a few icy sections that required cautious, concentrated motion. The 4 mile mark was just after the first turn approaching a water station. 4 miles in, 33 minutes and change. Closer to my goal, but still pretty fast. I was excited to have hit the mark so fast for me but a little concerned whether I could carry for another 9.1 miles. This was the when I really decided to think about my pace. My goal was to run a 9 minute mile and finish in under 2 hours. At this point I had room to spare and felt pretty good. Coming into the halfway point was pretty cool. People were cheering, giving me high fives and ringing cow bells. The timing could not have been better. As I approached the halfway point I had the competing emotions of excitement that I made it halfway and deflation that I was only halfway. I appreciated the surge of adrenaline provided by the spectators who were probably only clapping to keep warm.
As I passed by mile 8 I realized I was now in uncharted territory. This was farther then I had ever run and it was the first time that a wee bit of doubt seeped into my head. I put my ipod on to provide a bit of rhythm, and a bit of distraction. I passed through mile 9 in about 1:20. 40 minutes for the last 4.1 miles, things were starting to hurt. Nothing major, but soreness was creeping in to my calves, my thighs and my feet. I began to focus on little things like my arm swing and how my feet were hitting the ground. I was getting mad that my body hurt and people who I did not think should be passing me were. I needed to refocus. For the next mile and a half or so I let the rhythm take over and everything else go blank. When I hit mile 11 I felt confident that I would run across the finish line but I had no idea whether I would reach my goal. I was letting runners pass but I was not sure yet if I could ratchet up my pace and hang with a slightly faster group. I decided to dig in and latch onto some heels.
As we drew closer to the finish I felt better and worse at the same time. I kept telling myself to ignore the discomfort and suck it up one step at a time. Stay on the heels and don’t think. At mile 12 the finish was figuratively in sight which gave me a little boost. The last 1/3 of a mile was on a narrow, twisty, icy path. My adrenaline surged. All I wanted to do was finish strong. The crowd on both sides of the path was cheering. I was trying to leg it out but there was a lot of ice and I did not want to fall. I was smiling. I was about to cry. I was going to actually do it. About 200 yard from the finish I hear Hyle, then I see her. She is clapping and cheering giving me the final surge that I need. I passed 4 people on the way to the line and finished in 1:57:43. It was almost exactly a 9 minute mile. I finished. I accomplished my goal of under 2 hours. I was feeling pretty raw. Hyle brought me hot chocolate. She told me how proud she was of me. I was proud of her (she nipped me by about 10 minutes) I was proud of myself. I was cold.
In the end it was a phenomenal experience. At the finish I could not imagine running twice that distance and doing a full marathon. This was hard enough and anyone who can finish either a full or half marathon has accomplished something special. 241st out of 444 finishers sounds pretty good.
Two days later... rested... recovered... warm... That marathon does not sound so bad. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Films...
The primary purpose of my trip to both conventions was to screen socially relevant documentaries. I did not get to see all eleven, working on the film festival had a nasty way of disrupting my ability to see films, but I was able to see four of them. All different, all worthy. Before I embark on my best Siskel and Ebert while watching the Republican National Convention I noticed something that reminded me of an experience earlier in my career.
You might have noticed all of the “hand painted” signs peppered throughout the arena in St. Paul. I’m sure many people were taken with the passion and effort that went into crafting all of the cute signs such as “Hockey Moms 4 Palin”. Who knew the republicans were such a crafty bunch? Although it is not too much of a stretch to believe that a majority of scrapbookers run to the right. The entire scene reminded me of some of the early X Games when ESPN and the other organizers were worried about how the crowds would present themselves on TV. In the early days the crowds were smaller than today and event producers wanted to ensure that crowd shots had the right “pop”. This led to a project that can only be compared to an FDR depression era works program in size and scale. For days leading up to the actual start of the X games any runner not currently engaged in another activity could be found on the floor of the production coordinator’s office. Armed with poster board, scissors and a variety of writing and drawing materials matched only by a Staples or an Office Depot the young runners created poster after poster. Imagine you have just started your first job with ESPN and you’re thinking you are on your way to Sportscenter. Instead you are on the floor, markers in hand creating cutesy posters the say “Skate or Die” or “Nasti is Nasty”. I can imagine the scene in the bowels of the Xcel Center where young interns, or staffers, have the same compliment of supplies (maybe sponsored by 3M?) and creating similarly themed posters to brighten up the crowd. Your first big job in politics except this war room is sickly different then the one that inspired you in the movie. It really is a fine line between sports and politics. The show is the show.
On to the movies.
Kicking It...
“Kicking It” (www.kickingitthemovie.com) Follows 7 homeless men from around the world as they make their way to the 2006 Homeless Street Soccer World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa. It ranks amongst the best movies that I have seen, drama or documentary, and with the exception of some course language is suitable for a wide range of ages. It is a powerful movies that not only delves into worldwide issues surrounding homelessness but also how different cultures view those who live on the margins of society.
The movie does a wonderful job of presenting issues without being preachy as the thread that holds the movie together are the stories and challenges of the players, coaches and teams on the road to Cape Town. The personal stories are compelling, both coaches and players, and you end up becoming invested in the stories and small victories. The movie balances out both hope and despair and spotlights the challenges of bridging cultural mores in highlighting the need to effectively deal with homelessness. For all of the different circumstances that lead to homelessness (war, drug use, exiting foster care, societal disinterest) many issues are the same. The homeless live on the margins of society. In many cultures they are shunned and shamed, while in others they are simply ignored. Each subject has a compelling personal story and has big mountains to climb often to simply make it to practice. While a few are good soccer players they were mostly chosen for their ability to represent and give a variety of voices to the homeless both in their home countries and around the world.
“Kicking It” is at its best when all of the 48 teams from around the world are in Cape Town. It is the first time in the movie, and probably the first time in the lives of most of the players, that the subjects have a sense of hope and are treated, and viewed, as regular people. The drama both on and off the field in Cape Town is compelling and I found myself pulled deeper into the story and surprised at how much I cared. As the players are challenged both on the field and off you will find your notions about the homeless and homelessness challenged as well.
“Kicking It” premieres on ESPN2 tonight at 9:00PM EDT. If you miss it tonight you can catch it again tomorrow night on ESPN2 at 10:PM EDT.
Up next... “I.O.U.S.A”
You might have noticed all of the “hand painted” signs peppered throughout the arena in St. Paul. I’m sure many people were taken with the passion and effort that went into crafting all of the cute signs such as “Hockey Moms 4 Palin”. Who knew the republicans were such a crafty bunch? Although it is not too much of a stretch to believe that a majority of scrapbookers run to the right. The entire scene reminded me of some of the early X Games when ESPN and the other organizers were worried about how the crowds would present themselves on TV. In the early days the crowds were smaller than today and event producers wanted to ensure that crowd shots had the right “pop”. This led to a project that can only be compared to an FDR depression era works program in size and scale. For days leading up to the actual start of the X games any runner not currently engaged in another activity could be found on the floor of the production coordinator’s office. Armed with poster board, scissors and a variety of writing and drawing materials matched only by a Staples or an Office Depot the young runners created poster after poster. Imagine you have just started your first job with ESPN and you’re thinking you are on your way to Sportscenter. Instead you are on the floor, markers in hand creating cutesy posters the say “Skate or Die” or “Nasti is Nasty”. I can imagine the scene in the bowels of the Xcel Center where young interns, or staffers, have the same compliment of supplies (maybe sponsored by 3M?) and creating similarly themed posters to brighten up the crowd. Your first big job in politics except this war room is sickly different then the one that inspired you in the movie. It really is a fine line between sports and politics. The show is the show.
On to the movies.
Kicking It...
“Kicking It” (www.kickingitthemovie.com) Follows 7 homeless men from around the world as they make their way to the 2006 Homeless Street Soccer World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa. It ranks amongst the best movies that I have seen, drama or documentary, and with the exception of some course language is suitable for a wide range of ages. It is a powerful movies that not only delves into worldwide issues surrounding homelessness but also how different cultures view those who live on the margins of society.
The movie does a wonderful job of presenting issues without being preachy as the thread that holds the movie together are the stories and challenges of the players, coaches and teams on the road to Cape Town. The personal stories are compelling, both coaches and players, and you end up becoming invested in the stories and small victories. The movie balances out both hope and despair and spotlights the challenges of bridging cultural mores in highlighting the need to effectively deal with homelessness. For all of the different circumstances that lead to homelessness (war, drug use, exiting foster care, societal disinterest) many issues are the same. The homeless live on the margins of society. In many cultures they are shunned and shamed, while in others they are simply ignored. Each subject has a compelling personal story and has big mountains to climb often to simply make it to practice. While a few are good soccer players they were mostly chosen for their ability to represent and give a variety of voices to the homeless both in their home countries and around the world.
“Kicking It” is at its best when all of the 48 teams from around the world are in Cape Town. It is the first time in the movie, and probably the first time in the lives of most of the players, that the subjects have a sense of hope and are treated, and viewed, as regular people. The drama both on and off the field in Cape Town is compelling and I found myself pulled deeper into the story and surprised at how much I cared. As the players are challenged both on the field and off you will find your notions about the homeless and homelessness challenged as well.
“Kicking It” premieres on ESPN2 tonight at 9:00PM EDT. If you miss it tonight you can catch it again tomorrow night on ESPN2 at 10:PM EDT.
Up next... “I.O.U.S.A”
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