333 Sit-ups

33 Kilometer Mountain Bike

33 Pull-ups

A 3.3-Pitch Climb

3.3 Mile Trail Run

33 Pieces Of Sushi

3.3 Margaritas

The day was perfect.  Looking back, we could not imagine how our day could have been better….

The way it worked out was pretty cool – because of the totally last minute planning, it was just Sarah and Allie…..no spouses or significant others, or friends to join along the way.  No cheering squads to motivate you through the tough parts of the challenge.  No, we had only ourselves to rely on for all the motivation required for our special day. 

Sarah arrived at Allie’s at 8 am sharp.  The gals belted out the first installment (100) of the 333 sit-ups, with “Machine gun” (the Commodores) blasting in the back-ground.  In fact Allie was so pleased with this particular song on her newly acquired “Funk Doggy Volume 1: Got to Give it Up” CD that she proclaimed it the Birthday Challenge Theme Song.  Sarah, being a good sport, readily agreed. 

They mounted the bikes for the 33 km mountainbike ride from Allie’s place, a “hybrid” ride involving both on and off-road riding, up mill Creek Canyon, up the Grandeur Peak trail and down the pipeline trail and back to Allie’s place in south Salt Lake.  Oh, did we mention that this Birthday Challenge was more-or-less “off the couch?”  Put together, Allie and Sarah had done about 4 rides since July.  Not anything too mentionable to report on the ride, save the “hoard” of Japanese tourists on the Grandeur Peak trail who appeared out of nowhere and caught the girls somewhat off-guard, and the new friend we made at the bottom of the trail, who, upon learning that mountain bike riding was not actually Sarah’s primary activity in life, inquired, “well, what do you DO then?” 

Once the ride was over there was a quick 100 sit-up installment (to the Birthday Challenge Theme song of course), and then Allie and Sarah jetted to a little place near Allie’s for the first installment (12 pieces each) of the Sushi portion of the day.  From there they dashed to Sarah’s to pick up some essential gear and hammer out the 33 pull-ups, and then it was straight to Big Cottonwood Canyon, conveniently a 5 minute drive from Allie’s place, for the climbing and trail running segments of the Challenge. There was a slight scare at the bottom of the 3.3 pitch climb Sarah had selected for the day.  After hiking to the bottom of the climb, the girls found an EXTREMELY slow party in front of them.  Allie and Sarah, nonplussed, watched what appeared to be a beginner climber moving painstakingly up the first pitch.  We knew that if we weren’t back at the car in less than 3 ½ hours, it would be very doubtful that the trail run would be completed before dark.  After contemplating bagging, Sarah led up behind the slow guy, and was please to hear at the first anchor that the two gentlemen were rapping immediately down.  The girls didn’t ask any questions, and climbed happily to the top (note to readers, this was Allie’s first time climbing in over 2 years!  Sarah is looking forward to steadily roping Allie back into what was previously her #1 past-time).  The 3.3 mile trail run to Dry Lake and back (further up Big Cottonwood Canyon), was absolutely perfectly timed.  The sun set shortly after the girls turned back form the lake towards the road, and by the time Allie and Sarah reached the vehicle it was unclear whether they were navigating by the last of the sunset or the first light of the ¾ full moon.  It’s hard to say what the highlight of this run was – the stillness of the Wasatch mountains with no one else on the trail, the gobs of bright yellow aspens, or the family of moose (mom, baby AND DAD – unusual) at the lake which the girls witnessed from extremely close range (almost too close).

When Sarah and Allie returned to Allie’s house, they were greeted by Doug, Rachel and Thad, who had already prepared all the fixings for the sushi extravaganza.  First Allie and Sarah had to complete the final 133 sit-ups (during which of course Allie introduced the newcomers to the Birthday Challenge Theme Song), and then they happily dug into the 3.3 margaritas (with a minimum of 33% alcohol), and the final 21 pieces of sushi to make a clean 33 piece Sushi day (finishing the sushi was perhaps the most challenging part of the day for Allie).