The Event
There were many changes to the format of 35th Empire State Building Run-Up (ESBRU) put on by The New York Road Runners Association. Two details that remained the same however were that Thomas Dold won for them men, an impressive 7th in a row, and the event proved to have more media coverage than any other stair race in the US.  This is essentially where the similarities end. The 2012 race broke tradition and saw changes to event date, time of day, starting format and there was even a minor course modification at the 64th floor stairwell transition.  

Most notable of the changes was the starting format, where traditionally there was one mass start for the ladies and five minutes later there would be one or two mass starts for the men.  This starting format albeit extremely picture worthy is a disaster waiting to happen not only for runner safety but in terms runners being able to run at or near their ability given the bottle neck that is created by having so many bodies enter the stairwell at once. Anyway, the mass start this year was much less massive in that it was limited to less than 20 elites for both the men and the ladies heats, there was then a “Broker Challenge” mass start and then the remainder (majority) of the participants started via a 5 second staggered time trial. Although, I enjoyed the luxury of starting in a small group of elites at the front of the pack having multiple starting formats is a problem (a point I will touch on later).

My Race
Going into the event I knew my time would be better than my 2011 performance solely due to the fact that I would start so much closer to the front of the pack. I blindly assumed that I would run at least a minute better but hoped of course that I would run much faster than that. In terms of strategy I really had none other than not to go too fast at the start and just to run a strong race. Other races I generally have a goal time in mind which allows me to have some semblance of pace but given my experience with the building and the number of irregular floors this technique for pacing is not effective. Not that it would have mattered anyway because I forgot my watch, which I regret as it can be a motivator for me if I find myself alone in the stairwell.

After checking in and warming up the elites we were called down to the start. I could not help but reflect on the amount of talent in this small group. Realistically any of them were capable of beating me and many have done so in the past. But as my friend Jeff Dinkin would say “just go kick their butts.” After waiting the prescribed 5 minutes from the time of the ladies start it was our turn. We lined up and I was positioned in row two with Jesse Berg and Fabio Ruga directly in front of me and another Italian to my left. The announcer called out “runners take you mark” then there were some studder-steps taken by Dold and European mountain running champion Ahment Arslan fighting for position as the horn sounded. This activity before the horn caused me to hesitate and I was one of the last through the door but everyone was moving so fast it was ultimately inconsequential and I was running at a pace similar to that of a time trial. From there I just tried to run my own race and soon found myself in a position I have been before – flowing Tim VanOrden, Justin Stewart and Jesse Berg. Our pace was good and by floor 55 our group had broken with Jesse taking the lead and me following in distantly behind. By floor 60 I was alone but focused and pushing hard, at floor 70 I was still alone and really starting to suffer. From floor 15 to 75 I had been able to run most of the long narrow flights while using both rails to help propel my body upward.  But by floor 80 this was not the case, my legs felt shot and my lungs could not take in air fast enough. I was climbing sloppy, taking loose corners, slowing to breathe and hoping that nobody would catch me.

An interesting thing happened while rounding the corner from floor 84 to 85. I saw another runner ahead of me, it was about time! The runner was Ahment Arslan and I immediately told myself that I had to catch him. Although he is an amazing mountain runner this was his debut stair race, he went out hard and was obviously struggling. It only took a split second for me to recognize this and it was like a light switch was turned on in my body and I immediately went from survival mode to attack mode knowing that there was no time to spare.  Entering the last flight I could see that he had not reached the top and ignoring the rail I ran the last flight and could see he had just entered the observation deck.  I ran as hard as I could taking the inside track on the final corner and narrowly edged him at the line all while stopping in time to avoid a collision with about a dozen photographers. Sweet.

The pain set in, I took my spot at the edge of the finish and held the railing on edge of the observation deck to stay on my feet as my body slouched over. My eyes were shut as I tried to regain composure but I could hear an electronic clicking sound. I opened my eyes to see a camera in my face – I wonder how those shots turned out?

Reflecting on my performance, although pleased that my time of 11:42 was over a minute faster than my 2011 effort I could not help but think about the strength that I had at the finish. It is concerning in a way. I was really hurting in the last 10 floors and I was spent after crossing the line but out of nowhere I was able to finish the last floor and the observation deck faster than I thought possible. This leads me to believe that there is room for improvement in my mental game. I have many races in the coming months to work on this.

The Aftermath

After the race the elites were scurried down to the 80th floor where there was an awards ceremony, initial results were handed out and there was time to socialize with the other runners. It was really great spending time with old stair race friends, making new ones and picking their brains about training and future events. On the ladies side Melissa Moon took the win followed by Suzy Walsham and Ironman champion Chrissie Wellington. Thomas Dold won for the men but was followed closely by Christian Reidl who put up an extremely strong performance.  Third place is where things get interesting, while awards were being handed out to the invitational runners the time trial participants were still running. After leaving the event I assumed I had taken home a 7th place finish but upon reviewing results the next morning I learned this was not the case.

 I had been beaten by 3 time trial runners. In fact the 3 and 4 spots were taken by Aussies Mark Bourne and Darren Wilson who both broke the 11 minute mark and 9th position was taken by Norwegian Eirik Haugsnes. Does this mean Omar Bekkali has to give back his 3rd place prize that was awarded to him? Given their strong histories in mountain running and stair climbs I cannot understand how these athletes were not included in the elite heat of this race, unless they failed to fill out their elite application. From what I have heard the time trial runners had to deal with a very crowded stairwell and perhaps if they were in the invitational heat they would have fared far better.  Either way handing out awards before each participant has run is a blunder not to mention the fact that these times are not apples to apples given the differing race formats. I have a couple of ideas about how to make this event more successful, which I will be writing about in a future post.

Cheers to Mark Bourne, Darren Wilson and Eirik Haugsnes on your great performances coming out of the time trial. I would like hear more about it if you are reading this please contact me here.

New York
 It is always a privilege to visit New York and I feel even more privileged to have spent time there with a bunch of my “step” brothers and sisters. Besides the race some of the highlights include:

• Navigating the NYC subway and visiting the 9-11 memorial with Norbert Lechner and Justin Stewart
• Talking race strategy amongst other things with Tim VanOrden. He exudes positive energy and is simply inspiring to be around
• Grabbing a post race dinner with Tim, Norbert, Justin, Ann and Kristin Frey
  
• Touring the city and grabbing a nice lunch friends Kacie, Suzie & Adam
  
• Going to a cool bar on the Lower East Side with my friend Grace
• Learning to walk, not run across the street as not to look like a tourist (as if the camera and backpack do not give it away)

Below are some photos from the trip it was a great experience.

_Below is an email that I wrote to a friend describing a week of training leading into the 2010 Willis tower race. As I mentioned in an earlier post I have recently altered my training regime. The jury is still out as to whether or not my new program will make me faster but below is an example of a "good" week of training during 2011 (assuming I was not injured). Also, when I mention WaMu or Muni stairs they are 56 and 61 story towers. 

Below is response that friend and fellow tower runner Lawrence Pelo wrote in to this article published by the Denver Post about training/technique for the upcoming Republic Plaza stair climb. First let me say that it is AWESOME that the Denver Post is promoting the event but it is unfortunate that they are not contacting experienced tower runners for solid advice, hence the response. Good points Lawrence!

Take a look at this Rocky IV training montage that I found on YouTube. Yeah they are training for a boxing match but there are so many great examples of exercises for tower running that I had to share. Below I completed a list of the ones that I think are particularly good.

• Running
  
• Deep Snow Running - better than regular running (click here to see Tim VanOrden doing some deep snow running)
  
• VersClimber Intervals - This is an epic workout
  
• Hill Running (snow optional)
• Icy Stream Plyo Jumps - The cold water provides added incentive
• Sawing logs with 19th century lumberjack technology - great for core an pulling on that rail
  
• Power Cleans or medieval cart lifts
  
• Mountain Climbers or Figure 4 position sled pulls (snow optional)
• Track Intervals
• Weighted hill climbs - put hands over head for added challenge or just to hold your log
  
• Jumping Rope
• Full Extension situps with 1-2 punch at the end of each repetition
  
• Elevation/Altitude training

Did I miss any? Maybe chopping wood is a good or punching dudes in the face?

In preparation for the Empire State Building Run Up (ESBRU) in February I have taken a different approach to training than I have in the past. Based on recent training runs in the 58.5 floor tower where I work and train I am a little skeptical as to whether this was the right move.

My training strategy coming into ESBRU has been simple: focus on doing lots of endurance, some strength and then adding real high intensity workouts the 3 to 4 weeks leading into the race. Now, with 20 days until the race I have got to pickup the intensity or I feel all of the time I spent running and on the cycle trainer will have been wasted. At least I got to catch up on some movies I have been meaning to watch. 

That said I am confident that if I follow up with my strategy I will be stronger by race day. Also, despite not seeing any staggering improvements on the steps my running and cycling have improved significantly. I am often surprised to see that I am running routes at a pace that is over 0:20 per mile faster than the past and am able to produce significantly more watts on the bike at a lower heart rate. Maybe I am on to something or maybe it will be an epic fail (-:

“Canned food is a perversion, I suspect that it is ultimately very damaging to the soul.”
_        - John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces

I love cranberry sauce and I am not ashamed to admit it (or blog about it). With Thanksgiving coming up and being a cranberry sauce aficionado of sorts I thought that I would post my favorite recipe. The standard cranberry sauce is a mix of berries, sugar, water and maybe some orange juice/zest that is cooked in a sauce pan on the range. It is great stuff but what differentiates  the recipe below is that it is roasted in the oven and includes the additional flavors of jalapeño and cardamon. Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for this recipe as I pulled it from the pages of Saveur a couple years back. Whether you decide to make this or not, do not be a heathen and serve canned cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving.

Roasted Cranberry Sauce - courtesy of Saveur

1 orange
1 lb. fresh or thawed cranberries
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 green cardamom pods, smashed
4 whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
1 small jalapeño, stemmed and thinly sliced
1 1⁄2 tbsp. port

1. Heat oven to 450°. Using a peeler, remove peel from the orange, taking off as little of the white pith as possible. Cut peel into very thin strips about 1 1⁄2" long. Squeeze juice from the orange; strain and reserve 1 tbsp. juice.

2. In a bowl, combine peel, cranberries, sugar, olive oil, salt, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon, and jalapeños. Toss and transfer to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Roast until cranberries begin to burst and release their juices, about 15 minutes.

3. Transfer cranberry mixture to a bowl; stir in reserved orange juice and port. Let sit for at least 1 hour so that the flavors meld. Remove and discard cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon before serving.

I talked a bit about race strategy in my Willis tower (formerly Sears Tower) race report. After reading that post I was contacted by Eric Leninger, a former event winner and hell of a nice guy, with the idea that he write his race report and post it next to mine to show how different two athletes experiences can be in the same race. I thought this idea was awesome so without any further adieu below is the 2011 Willis tower race through the eyes of Eric Leninger. 


After reading Kevin’s great Sears recap, I had the idea of drafting my own and posting it next to his because we had very different perspectives during the climb. Kevin and I have become friends over the past couple years of scaling tall buildings together. He’s a talented yet humble climber, and I thank him for allowing me to post my two-cents on his page. 

First off, I was happy just to be there. Last October, 3 weeks before Sears Tower, I developed a chronic IT-band injury that plagued me all last season and led to some of my worst performances. This injury finally began to subside in September of this year, at which point I registered for 2011 Sears. Mark Trahanovsky was kind enough to make me a custom West Coast Labels shirt with my doctor’s name on the back, because without him I would have been able to climb. I KNOW the WCL shirt factored into my performance!  

For the start, Kevin hit the nail on the head. While lining-up, I could tell the front was set for chaos. I normally stay outside the starting line until the last possible minute, and then jump-in as the event begins. This year I had a huge problem deciding where I would do so. With guys like Jesse Berg, The Crossman twins, Rolf Majcen, Oz John Osbourn, Norbert Lechner, Justin Stewart, and Javier Santiago in attendance, I was at a loss. Like Kevin said, there was crowd containing talented climbers at the front. After the group he described, more trouble in the form of Sproule Love, Brian Crossman, Norbert, Javier, Cindy Harris, and Oz.  I decided the best place for me to start would be behind all these individuals. 

After what felt like 5 minutes of climbers starting before me…finally…it was my turn. I was happy to have no part in the mess that started in front of me, because I knew they would all get bunched together. My race strategy was to go-out conservative...VERY conservative, and maintain a constant pace up the entire 103 floors. There was no way I’d be able to do that if I started racing other climbers in the first 20 floors.  

Like Jesse, I tend to start slow and finish strong. With all my rivals in front of me, probably starting faster than me, I expected to be on my own for a while. It turned-out to be a loooooooong while. I looked at my watch at 10 - 1:20. Then again at 20 - 2:40. As I climbed I felt light and fresh...30.40.50...still feeling great and maintaining the same pace. But wait a minute, I still had not caught ANYONE!!!   

I finally came-up on Oz just after the 50th floor.  Once I got that first glimpse of catching the competition, it really gave me a boost.  Shortly thereafter was Norbert, then Cindy. By the time floor 66 hit however, I was begging and pleading for the direction change because my entire right side was dead.  

On through the hallway and on to turning left. With a rejuvenated feeling, I found a way to maintain my same pace through 70 and 80. Those who have climbed Sears before know that the number 88 brings almost as much happiness as winning the lottery. As the stairwell narrows and shortens, we all infringe on Jesse Berg’s patented technique of grabbing both rails. Well at 88 I surged, and I surged again at 90. This time, I bounced-off Brian Crossman on a narrow landing, and received a nice push in the back to keep going (thank you buddy!).  At 95 came another surge.  

Right now you may be wondering - what is this "surge" you speak of? The best way I can describe it is this: Remember the arcade game Crusin USA (or Crusin the World)? When you double-tap the gas pedal, the car does a wheelie with a huge burst of speed. The speed wears-off in a couple seconds, at which point you would do another double-tap for an additional burst of speed. That’s basically what I was doing from 88 to the finish.  

I held the final surge from 95 through 103, took about 3.5 steps in the skydeck and promptly face-planted on the floor.  I glanced at my watch – sub-14:00. My official time ended-up being 13:51, good enough for third overall, a mere 9 seconds off my personal best at Sears.  After struggling with injuries for the past year, I could not have been happier with the result.   

Even more impressive was the slew of amazing performances turned-in by so many different individuals. Sproule set a new course record. Cindy set a new female course record. 51-year-young Dan Ackermann came-in at 13:59. Oz set a huge personal best at 14:26. Kristin Frey hammered a 16:26. Jesse went sub-14 again. Like a fine wine, Mark Trahanovsky keeps getting better with age. Kevin, Brian, and Rolf all turned-in solid performances. Kourtney joined Norbert and Justin in their first climbs up Sears, and all did very well. Justin went sub-15 while Kourtney was only 12 seconds off the time I clocked my first time up Sears!  Most importantly, Nelson Quong and Javier both climbed while injured, and turned-in great performances. These two individuals have my greatest respect.  I know from experience how brutally hard this can be, both mentally and physically.  

After the climb Kourtney, Kristin, Kevin, Brian, Justin, Norbert, Nelson and I all hung out and watched some football. After killing ourselves on the stairs, this was some much-needed fun. For me, it was the best part of the weekend! 

Again, thank you to Kevin for allowing me to post on his blog. I had a great time writing this up!  Cheers – and see you at the next set of stairs…

Tower races can be a crowded, hot, sweaty traffic jam but they can also be lonely. Despite hosting hundreds or thousands of participants most races are time trials where each participant starts several seconds apart and it is possible, particularly if you start at the front, to go up the building and not see another participant. Just you climbing, breathing, laboring, watching the floors and seconds on your watch pass by.  That was NOT the case at this year's race up the Willis Tower, North America's tallest building.

There was strong competition that included many notable tower runners including Jesse Berg, Rolf Majcen, Daniel Ackermann, Eric Leninger, Justin Stewart, Sproule Love and an injured Javier Santiago amongst others. When there are so many solid athletes starting order becomes a bit of a question. Most prefer to avoid a lot of passing so the race favorite will generally go first followed by a likely runner up and so on. Using that protocol Jesse, a two time winner, started first followed by Rolf, Justin, me and Daniel. Eric wisely decided to start a little further back not wanting to get caught up in the potential race strategy (or lack there of) of the starting five. At 7:00 am Jesse commenced the climbing. He is an awesome racer and has one of the fastest finishing kicks in the business but he starts slow...way slower than most. In tower running even experienced participants tend to start way too fast and run big positive splits even though research has proven that this is not the best strategy (a future post topic). As a result of Jesse's comparatively slow starting pace, by floor 15 the first five starters were bunched together in the order in which they started.

It was a five man train chugging up the building in a mechanical fashion. Step, step, step, step, step, turn, step, step, step, step, step, turn. The breathing getting heavier as the floor passed by about every 8 seconds which equates to a 13:44 finishing pace. It went this way for about 60 floors, no participant falling off pace but also not willing to make a move, myself included. Around floor 80, Jesse started to pull away and the only athlete to respond was Justin who passed Rolf in the process. This automatically raised my sense of urgency and I saw an opportunity to pass on the outside around floor 85. I took this opportunity knowing that the stairwell narrows at floor 88 and passing can be more difficult if the competitors are moving hard for the finish. This surge nearly broke me however. As soon as I completed the pass my legs were beginning to fall out from under me and I began to question my judgement.

I spent the next couple of floors trying to regain some sense of composure. Then floor 88 hit its narrower stairwell was my sign to start hammering it in to the finish. I surged again passing Justin, who was laboring from the strong move he made 10 floors earlier. The floors were passing by now but slower than I had hoped. With about 6 floors to go I was cooked...no burnt. And Daniel Ackermann was gaining on me HARD. CRAP! I was pushing as hard as I could but whenever I gained some ground he would make it right back up. He was finishing very strong but by floor 103 I was able to make it through the door without getting passed but he was right on my tail which meant he had certainly posted a better time.

After crossing the finish line I was a wreck and took my usual position at the nearest garbage can just in case my breakfast decided to come back and say hello. As the other participants walked by we exchanged our estimated finishing times. I then see a wild haired participant walk by who looked really fit and told me his time was 13:05.  It turns out this participant was Sproule Love, a former record holder in the building and his official time was actually 13:03 besting the existing record by 6 seconds. To continue the record setting trend in the female division Cindy Harris beat her own record by posting an impressive time of 14:57.

_At the end the day I ended up taking 5th overall with a time of 14:05. Eric was wise in starting a little further back thus avoiding the antics of the front group and claimed 3rd overall. I missed my goal time of 13:55 but I think I was mentally strong and raced to my fitness level. Considering my lower than optimal training volume due to injuries and a very busy work schedule I am not disappointed  with the result. Plus I had an awesome time hanging out with so many great tower runners from across the country and the globe - great race to cap off a great weekend.

For official race results click here.

OK there are lots of reasons to run: health, fitness, spending time in the outdoors, personal challenge...  But at the end of the day these are all secondary. The best reason to pick up running is so that you are in good enough shape to participate in the Ragnar Relay. What is the Ragnar Relay? Well the Ragnar Website accurately describes it as

“You and 11 of your closest friends running 200(ish) miles, day and night, relay-style, through some of the most scenic terrain North America could muster. Add in crazy runners, inside jokes and a mild case of sleep deprivation. The result? Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it a Ragnar Relay.”

It is just a blast. You and 11 teammates running all night, wearing goofy costumes/uniforms, playing pranks all with the common goal of completing a rather impressive physical challenge (plus there is a beer garden at the end).  I just do not have the words to describe the amount of fun I have had participating in this event the last two years.  But I know a big part has to due with being a member of a great team, Colonel Angus on the Ragnar (nice name eh). Last year I managed to sneak onto this team, made up of 11 firefighters and one desk jockey (me), when they were looking for a last minute replacement. I am so glad that I decided to go out on a limb and compete in this event that I had never heard of with a group of guys I had never met. 

All great folks with awesome senses of humor that you can get flavor for in our 2011 team video - Check out our uniforms the best way that I can describe them is that they are the lovechild of a firefighter, hooters girl and 80s rocker.

This summer I have been battling some nagging injuries and I told Matt Runte, our team captain, that I was not sure if I would be able to finish all 3 of my legs measuring 6.8, 4.6 and 3.8 miles respectively. Matt sent me an encouraging message reminding me that we are doing this for fun, just to take it easy and if I am hurt and cannot complete one of my legs someone would fill in for me.  I took his advice, except the take it easy part, and ran my first two legs over 10 seconds per mile faster than I did the year prior.  My first leg started around 6 pm on a route that took me from Burlington over I5 and down into the gorgeous Skagit Valley. I started with a surge of adrenalin that stayed with me through the leg and finished without any pain or injury.

After dinner and a long rest came my second stage at about 2:30 am which brought me 4.6 miles from the ferry terminal in Anacortes towards the deception pass bridge.  I had been looking forward to this leg because, with 558 feet of elevation gain, it allowed me to utilize a lot of my strength from stair climbing. Not to mention the fact that running a race in the middle of the night is very unique and the reflection of the moon off the Puget Sound was truly beautiful. The leg started out good too, I began catching other runners right away (in Ragnar terminology a pass = a kill) and felt really good. I was just cruising but with about 1.5 miles to go my knee began to give way. Then soon after I started getting shooting pain coming from my foot/heel. I knew this would be the last leg for me in the 2011 Ragnar so I finished the leg as strong as I could knowing that there would not be another until next year.  I was later diagnosed with both patellar and peroneal tendonitis in my left knee and foot. Thankfully Matt stepped up and did a stellar job of running my third leg.

I was totally bummed that I could not run my last leg but my Ragnar was not over. Between icing my foot and knee, I partook in all of the antics and spent the rest of the race doing my best to support our team on our way to glory and in that it was a stunning success!

Thanks guys. I am looking forward to it next year!  

So a little history...I did not think much about it until recently but I have been exposed to wild food my entire life. I have fished ever since I can remember and always look forward to late summer when the mountain blueberries and blackberries are at their prime. My mom even tells me that, as a toddler, I would explore the backyard and find new and interesting berries to eat. Needless to say Poison Control had to be called a time or two, in addition to the notorious indecent where yours truly chugged a bottle of Old Spice. More recently I have picked up deer and waterfowl hunting and was introduced to mushrooming by my uncle Mike. He studied Forestry at the University of Washington, is an experienced mushroom hunter and can identify countless varieties of plants at will. When we hike together he often points out the various edible plants and mushrooms. With a quick raise of the hand will say "See that mushroom? It is Chicken of The Woods you can eat that" or when passing by lone marijuana plant on tail in the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forrest "you can smoke that" with a smile.  

Enter Hank Shaw....Two winters ago I got in the habit of taking Saturday morning walks, shotgun and hunting license in hand, along a gated forest service road with the hopes of bagging a couple of the grouse that frequent that area. One of the many benefits of being an avid trail runner is that it is a great way to scout out places to hunt. After a number of mornings of hunting, several miles underfoot and numerous missed shots I finally managed to bag a nice ruffed grouse.

Plump bird in hand the obvious question arose: how am I going to prepare this critter? I went to the internet for ideas and ended up stumbling upon Honest-Food.Net, the James Beard Award nominated blog written by Hank Shaw. I was blown away by what I found. The site was full of fascinating posts about the pursuit of wild foods and beautiful ways to prepare them. The accompanying photos, many of which are taken by Hank's partner and hunting blogger Holly A. Heyser, made the articles even more enticing. It was refreshing and inspiring to see such thoughtful treatment of wild foods, particularly game, in ways that highlight their unique flavor. For my grouse I took some straightforward advise "The cardinal rule with grouse is don’t mess with it. Roast it simply, add a sauce that compliments it, and enjoy."  The grouse was freakin'  tasty and I became a loyal reader of the blog.

Fast forward to July and Hank is touring the country to promote his new book, Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast. When I heard he was going to be doing a book dinner at the Herbfarm I jumped at the opportunity.  The marathon 9 course 6 wine dinner was lovely and I could not have asked for better company, that included Holly Heyser and Langdon Cook among others. As one might expect the conversation primarily revolved around the outdoors and food but Marion Barry managed to enter the conversation as well, we even invented a cocktail with his namesake...one can get pretty creative during a 4 hour dinner. One thing that was overwhelmingly apparent was Hank, Holly and Langdon's enthusiasm for pursuing and eating wild food. I walked away with even more appreciation for these things and was reminded how thankful I am that they take the time to share their experiences and knowledge with others.

If you are interested in learning about the world of wild foods check out Hank's book, it provides a great introduction to foraging, fishing and hunting.