Name: Greg Carter

Birthday: July 30, 1969

Occupation: Consultant

 

The Challenge:
(In the middle of the Texas summer (Temperature: at least 96 degrees. Humidity: very likely over 96%), In 32 hours)

32 pitches of rock climbing

32 miles mountain biking

3.2 mile run

32-point game of 2 on 2 sand volleyball

3.2 miles of paddling

32 minutes of hoola hooping

32 Dead songs played on mandolin or guitar

16 Tex-Mex's (Lone Star w/lime)

16 Nissan brand shrimp flavored Cup-O-Noodles (much more than a soup)

 
(Scroll down for the latest news)   or go straight to the challenge

First we heard form Megan:

We just got a progress report from Megan Haley about her husbands upcoming challenge:

Preparations are underway for the Greg's bday challenge.  He should be sending you some info soon.  We had a good day of mountain biking and climbing yesterday.  Far cry from the bday challenge goals though.  It's going to be a tough one!   It was pretty damn hot yesterday.  The thought of a cup-o-soup, much less 16, was slightly nauseating.   I predict some spewage and perhaps a life long hatred of cup-o-soup.

Then Greg officially signed on:

Megan told me she sent you a message already letting you know that training has begun, so I figured it was about time I committed to some stakes. I have recently done some training days to asses my chances and I must say that the results have been disheartening. More than a few times I had second thoughts about my intended challenge events, but in the true spirit of Birthday Challenge (it's all about the challenge right?!!!) I am going to stick to my original aspirations. So here it is:

 
In the middle of the Texas summer (Temperature: at least 96 degrees. Humidity: very likely over 96%), In 32 hours,
32 miles mountain biking
3.2 mile run
32 point game of 2 on 2 sand volleyball
3.2 miles paddling
32 lead climbing pitches
32 minutes hoola hooping
32 Dead songs sung and played on mandolin or guitar
And the dreaded consumption challenge...
16 Tex-Mex's (Lone Star beer with a lime)
16 Nissan brand shrimp flavored Cup-O-Noodles (much more than a soup)
 
I am pretty sure that the climbing will be the most physically demanding part of my challenge, but not surprisingly, I am most concerned about the noodles. Of course I have a long history of eating several of them before most big climbing events, but I think the most I have ever eaten in a sitting (and possibly in a single day) is three. And then there is the overheating factor. To make it possible, I will have to spread them out throughout the heat of the day, and being a purist, I must eat them hot. Who knows what will be the effect of attempting to pull a burly roof under the blazing Texas sun with three quarts of hot ramen noodles packed in one's belly? But it seems to me that it was for answering these questions that Birthday Challenge was created...

Training commenced:

photos: greg in training (below & right)

Diary - Day 1

As for the weekend... We won't be joining the other drinkers in SF. You mentioned the pool trip, but it was before we signed up. Anyway I need the weekend to begin training for some of the other challenge events BESIDES drinking. I think I am pretty safe in the Lone Star department.

 
And finally the day arrived (Megan reports)

The countdown to the challenge has begun.......  I dropped Greg off at work this morning.  His work is conveniently located at the end of the greenbelt. He'll kick-off the challenge at 3:00 with a cup-o-soup and a steamy ride down the greenbelt.  A couple of us will be strategically placed in the greenbelt for some climbing stops.  Then it's on to vball for some 2-on-2 and song playing.  We'll finish up tonight's effort with a night kayak up to Red Bud Island on town lake.  It will be a nice way to wind down and cool off.  Up early and out to Rheimer's for day 2 and the majority of the climbing.  We'll hit Muleshoe Park on Lake Travis on the way home for the remaining off-road mileage (biking and running).   If we're lucky, a few loyal supporters will have gathered at our house for the final push of cup-o-soup eating, beer drinking, song singing and hula-hooping.  Sounds like a regular old birthday party. Being the engineer that he is, he has it planned to the T including a speadsheet with estimated times for events and a consumption schedule.  I hope to never be this anal on any day, but particularly on my birthday! 


  

On to the challenge ...