XTERRA 29er Style

So this happened...

2011-01-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

I've been sitting on a fitness ball at work for three years. Two weeks ago, for no reason, my ball burst while I was eating lunch and checking email at my desk. I fell hard and fast. Very hard and very fast. A couple days of being sore and it was time to get back on a new burst-resistant ball. This video pretty accurately represents how one succumbs to gravity.

USAT member again...

2011-01-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

I'm back. Officially. 1st event of the year will be the Firebird Sprint Tri in a little over a month from now. Time to remember how to swim!

Wednesday 14 mile bike this morning

Weekend Away

2011-01-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

Headed up to N. AZ with Runnerwife for some R&R this past weekend. I did not need the time off, and probably should have taken a bike, but it was nice to just make packing and vacationing easy. Runnerwife is 1 week out from the 1/2 marathon and her training was going well except for a hiccup over the weekend. A fluke stumble in the dark into a desk and now she's sidelined with serious knee pain. No long run on the weekend and out short 3 miler turned into a 1.5 with a slow hobbling walk home. Serious well wishes for a quick recovery and a speedy race next weekend!

Last week finished up with Wednesday and Thursday AM workouts with the Nutrition Doc and afternoon gym sessions on my own. Friday I hit the gym over lunch and took the morning off. I need to amp up the training and am considering adding a sprint tri in February. That might be just the ticket!

Monday AM
2 lap warm up
plyo warm up
3 x (Ladder Drills + 90yd 6 line suicide drills + recovery lap)
+1 suicide
5 min ABS

Monday PM
Gym - arms/foam roller/stretch

25 or 50 Proof?

2011-01-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

Registration for the Whiskey Row race is now open and I need to decide between the 25 and 50 proof. I know the 25 will be a great time, but I did it last year. The 50 provides a new challenge and reason to push over the next couple of months, but I don't know what this spring has in store for me. Decisions, decisions....

Monday - AM
3 x (5 x 50sec/10sec interval sprints on the track)
10x squat jumps
10x jump tucks
100x thrust jumps
20x lunges
2x 30sec star jumps

Monday - PM
5 min foam rolling
3 x 10 hamstring ball bridges
3 x 10 10# weighted crunches
8, 8, 6 pull ups
3x ball tricep pulls
3 x 20 rung pushup ladder
stretching

Tuesday - AM
Spin Class 60min
foam rolling 5 min
bicep curls
tricep extension
stretching
5 min abs

Back in Business

2011-01-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

2011. Day 1. 16 miles on the road bike. Washed it, tuned it, lubed it, and added a couple new features for good measure. I'm embracing what it will be for the foreseeable future and that is a commuting and training machine so weight be damned. I added a rear rack and some sweet LED lights. I'm going to look amazing when this thing is lit up at night!! Back to work in the morning after a much needed long weekend to recover from the holidays. Safe riding!!

Ready for 2011?

2010-12-30T13:02:00.002-07:00

I'm keeping it simple for 2011. In order to balance all the incredible friends, family, and opportunities in my life I took a break from serious racing and blogging in 2010. I'm looking forward to a great 2011 and part of that is having some athletic goals to work towards despite a busy and full life. Stay tuned for my updates on working toward competing in the 2011 Whiskey Row Off-Road and see what other adventures and opportunities present themselves along the way. Happy New Year!

Whiskey Row Off-Road

2010-04-16T10:04:00.002-07:00

There is actually a race on my 2010 schedule. The Whiskey Row Off-Road 25 proof (although I hear it is more like 29) will be my first event of 2010. I'm really getting excited for this race and it looks like it is attracting quite a crowd of racers including the likes of Tinker Juarez. I'm not expecting anything big results wise, just looking to have a good time in the Arizona high country.
My routine lately has been:
Monday: swim /lift
Tuesday: lift / ultimate practice
Wednesday: road bike 40 / lift
Thursday: yoga / lift
Friday: road bike 40 /lift
Saturday: MTB or Ultimate / yoga
Sunday: lift
So there hasn't been a ton of time in the saddle lately, but I'm changing that. This morning I had a beautiful ride on SoMo's Desert Classic Trail just as the sun was rising. I'm enjoying the cool mornings while they last (62) because all too soon it will be brutal - even at sunrise.
I'm starting to get a handle back on life so hopefully that translates into more training, blogging, and racing. Stay tuned and enjoy the weekend.

Like old times

2010-04-12T08:38:00.001-07:00

Friday -1000m swim/ lifted chest/back
Saturday - 7.5 road/10 MTB/7.5 road + 1hr yoga class
Sunday - 20 mile road ride

Now that it's April

2010-04-08T10:18:00.002-07:00

No single event prompted my return to the blogosphere. I've been busy working hard, pursuing new projects, and living the active life I always expect from myself. Somewhere in there the blog fell of the radar. Perhaps part of the extended absence is the realization several months ago that I could not complete this year's XTERRA season. Fewer race weekends mean fewer opportunities for points, and with limited funds and several conflicts on the close races I didn't see the point to sport specific training. Instead, I've been enjoying being active and am looking forward to several new athletic challenges. More details and updates to come. I'm back!

The week that never happened

2010-01-21T09:34:00.001-07:00

I'm in my second week of training for the season. That's right week 2 - part deux. Last week I came down with a cold that ended with a sinus infection and trip to the urgent care center. Gotta love pushing too hard and doing too much. So this week I am back on the wagon and trying to go strong despite the fact that I now live in Seattle. What? Yup, my Arizona sunshine has been replaced with rain, rain, and more rain.
Phoenix averages around 7 inches of rain a year. This week we are getting 6 inches. This means Phoenix is in full on disaster mode giving out sandbags, canceling events, and making training a little more difficult, but not too bad. I guess the rest of you actually have to think about rain on a regular basis, bummer.
Monday - weights/core/ultimate practice
Tuesday - 50min run
Wednesday - AM swim / ultimate canceled
Thursday - AM lift / PM bike trainer workout

Day 6/7 - Building (for others)

2010-01-13T15:03:00.002-07:00

Saturday was a big day. Runnerwife and I woke up early and headed out to a Habitat for Humanity House to volunteer for the day. The real estate agent who sold us our house, Ken Mayer (who is awesome), gathers a group of his clients to volunteer every year to build houses for those who are less fortunate. It's always a powerful experience and this year was no exception.

Of course, after spending hours on a roof laying shingles and hauling supplies all anyone wants to do is swim, right? Actually, with the weather we are having (mid 70's) it sounded really good, so I hit the pool.

Saturday AM - build for habitat

Saturday PM - swim workout 1,400m

Sunday - woke up sick, too many 5am mornings turning in grad school papers, and too much going on all at once. How do you know you are over training? Sickness happens.

Day 5 - the academic toll

2010-01-08T14:33:00.003-07:00

I knew that starting grad school and my 2010 season in the same week would be rough. I was right. I've been staying on track with all my workouts and my academics (I've read 491 pages, written 16 papers (48 total pages), and submitted work at 5am daily this week), but it is taking it's toll. I'm tired. There is a reason I recommend that students avoid 2 week accelerated winter classes.
Yesterday was the first time on the bike in a while and the 18 mile commute home was solid, 18.2 mph average speed, but it sapped what little I had left. The beer and pizza I consumed while staying up to watch the BCS Championship totally did me in for the week. I moved today's workout till this evening and WILL get it done.

Friday PM - Squats, leg press, step ups, lunges (4x12) + core work

Day 4

2010-01-07T14:40:00.002-07:00

I'm really getting back into the groove playing ultimate Frisbee. Last night's practice my throws were on target and my conditioning is rapidly improving. I can feel my balance, lateral movement, and quickness returning which I'm hoping will translate into better XTERRA performance. Racing triathlons has taught me a whole new level of listening to my body and applying that in ultimate has been fascinating in only the first week of practice.

Thursday PM - 18 mile ride home from work

I guess this is my "rest day".

Day 3 - swimming with Bill

2010-01-06T09:36:00.003-07:00

Bill is a retired US Navy Seal, former police officer, and husband to a wife in declining health. He is also my inspiration in the mornings when I swim at the local 24hr fitness. You see, without fail, Bill puts on his pink swim trunks, unpacks his paddles and pull buoy, and jumps in the pool every morning.
As one of the first US Navy Seals, Bill is now in his eighties and no one would fault him if he did a few laps, maybe some water walking, and then hit up the hot-tub or sauna. But this is Bill, my morning inspiration, and he cranks out 2 miles (3,200yds) every morning - then he hits up the hot-tub. Bill is always smiling, always swimming, and always says hello when we share a lane or just the pool. I was glad to kick off my first swim of 2010 in the lane next to Bill.

Wednesday AM - Swim (1,100yds)

Wednesday lunch - nap

Wednesday PM - 3hr ultimate practice + core work

Day 2 - solar powered

2010-01-06T09:29:00.002-07:00

I woke up on day two of my 2010 season to a reminder of what it feels like to really work out, and that's a good thing. Ultimate practice on Monday night was good. A decent group of guys and the right amount of plyometrics, sprinting, jumping, and intervals that I feel it, but am not totally spent. I got home late from the three hour practice, but jumped in the pool for a late night ice bath. Damn, it was cold.

Tuesday AM - slept in

Tuesday lunch - 45 minute easy run. Beautiful run through the desert with mountain views to the south and the east. It was over 70 so I took my shirt off and soaked up the rays while I ran. The sun feels so good and running outside without being bundled up is such a blessing. Almost as good as swimming outside, but I have a couple months before that is possible again.

Tuesday PM - watched the biggest loser

2010 - Day 1

2010-01-04T09:47:00.004-07:00

Standing in my bathroom, shrouded by the blue glow of my laptop monitor, hitting refresh like roadie bidding on eBay for spandex. That's how day 1 of my 2010 XTERRA and Ultimate season started, and day 6 as a graduate student.
I managed to avoid waking up runnerwife, totally opening my eyes, and still took the top spot on the podium in my online class. You see, today started at 4:55am so I could submit two papers for graduate school. The first two students to write their papers on the same topic close that topic for the course. So the only way to prevent having to write additional papers for an open topic is to be one of the first two students to submit your paper. I'm a competitive SOB. Not dressed, not coherent, and not too thrilled to be awake I successfully submitted my papers (1st) at the 5am start...Welcome to 2010. Year 3.

AM - Morning weights (4x12):

pullups
pushups
body weight rows
lateral DB raises
swimmers

Lunch - 1/2 mile run, light yoga

PM - 3hr ultimate practice incl. abs
---
Morning weight 174 (heaviest ever)
RHR 56 bpm

Goodbye 2009

2009-12-31T08:22:00.005-07:00

New races, new places, and new faces. That was my 2009. I trained smarter, harder, and farther than ever before. I learned more about myself through the challenges of 2009 than any other year. Adversity taught me how to persevere. Fear taught me not to be afraid. I learned to rely on what I have, and celebrate my good fortunes. I am blessed with an incredible wife - who I love more each day - a fairytale family that supports me in everything I do, and friends - new and old - all over this awesome country. 2009 was quite a year. 2009 was awesome. 2010 will be better.

How? Oh, just wait. It starts tomorrow.

Goals - 2010

2009-12-16T15:18:00.002-07:00

It isn't quite January yet so I'll save the official roll out of my 2010 goals for a couple weeks from now. I can tell you that I'm excited about a new year full of challenges. In addition to a competitive and challenging athletic career in 2010 I am also returning to school while taking on additional responsibilities at work. Now that's a recipe for success!
To all those that supported me in 2009 - thank you! I couldn't have had such a great year without all the family, friends, and new friends and inspiring people I met along the way. I look forward to more of the same in 2010.
My training lately has looked a lot like Randy Moss. I've been taking some time off. I have been hitting the gym for some laid back strength training and even hit the pool the other day for an easy 8x100, but I'm enjoying letting all the off-season sitting around drive me nuts. It only serves to make me more excited for January. I know I've been delinquent on the blog posts, but those too will pick up in the new year. Happy Holidays!

Our special guest: Katie Visco

2009-11-24T16:32:00.003-07:00

So you think you're an athlete? Driven? Motivated? An inspiration? You are. But so is Katie Visco. She is enroute to being the second youngest woman to run across the United States. Yup, that's right, she's running from Boston to San Diego and joined us for a few nights while she's here in the Phoenix area. Check out her website.

San Diego folks - please help make Katie's arrival in your great city something special. Let me know if your local run shops and tri clubs would be interested in running with Katie, hosting Katie for a home-stay, or inviting her to speak at a local event. She's an AWESOME young woman with LOTS of energy who is sure to inspire you to even greater heights!

Veteran's Day 2009

2009-11-20T08:10:00.005-07:00

A BIG thank you to all those who serve and have served our country. My quiet ride this morning was spent reflecting on this beautiful country and the men and women who give their lives, time, and expertise to keep us all safe and protect our way of life.
I woke up early on this day and headed north to explore the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. This system now ranks as my #1 favorite in the Valley of the Sun. It is trails and mornings like this that start me thinking I may never live anywhere else. The climb to the top of Sunrise is why I ride bikes. Enjoy!

Getting caught up...

2009-11-10T13:47:00.002-07:00

I've been feeling totally overwhelmed in the last few weeks and I was finally able to run some reports that have me feeling better. In the last 16 months at my current position I've seen a 278% increase in service measures. Simply put, this means I'm now seeing the same number of students with 1.5 staff members as I saw at my last institution with a staff of six.
Training last week:
Wed: AM lifting
Thursday: 18 mile ride in / lifting during lunch /16 mile ride home (flat tire)
Friday: AM lifting
Saturday: 5 mile ride / 2.5hr Men's ultimate scrimmage / 5 mile ride
Sunday: AM lifting / yoga class

This week:
Monday: AM lifting
Tuesday: AM 18 mile ride in / PM 18 mile ride home

The Beast

2009-11-03T09:15:00.003-07:00

My beast of a commuter lit up in all her glory

Monday: AM weights / 3.5 run @ lunch
Tuesday: 18 mile ride in / weights @ lunch / 18 mile ride home

Tonight's ride home

2009-10-27T16:41:00.002-07:00

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED... OR WIND GUSTS OF BETWEEN 40 AND 58 MPH. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT... ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. IN ADDITION... STRONG WINDS OVER DESERT AREAS COULD RESULT IN BRIEFLY LOWERED VISIBILITIES TO WELL UNDER A MILE AT TIMES IN BLOWING DUST OR BLOWING SAND. USE EXTRA CAUTION.

Big Packages

2009-10-18T19:59:00.003-07:00

So A tells me there are two MASSIVE boxes from Amazon outside the front door. What could these be I wonder?

Can you guess?

hmmmm....

That's right two tires came in these two HUGE boxes.

I'll post my letter to Amazon as soon as I finish recycling all this waste.

October in Arizona

2009-10-17T15:48:00.002-07:00

Prepare to be jealous....

The week

2009-10-16T14:08:00.002-07:00

A lighter off-season schedule this week. I'm excited about putting in a lot more bike miles this off-season and only worrying about the swimming and running once I start training again. I also have a better idea of the courses for this year so I will tailor my training a little more to the specific courses. I'm hoping to work 1 swim, 1 run, 2 road, 1 mtb, 3x weights, and 2x yoga into my off-season schedule going forward. It sounds like a lot, but I think I can get all that in with a healthy dose of NFL football and beer drinking.

Monday: AM weights
Tuesday: 18 mile AM ride / weights at lunch / 18 mile PM ride
Wednesday: AM weights / lunchtime yoga / 3 mile run with A
Thursday: weights at lunch
Friday: 18 mile AM ride / weights at lunch

Tour de Fat (car free weekend)

2009-10-11T14:55:00.003-07:00

Tour de Fat 2009

may I just say this kid DOMINATED the ride

Friday - great bike ride over to the Cornish Pasty Co for dinner and drinks. Ran into some friends while we were there and enjoyed their company before a great ride home. A on the cruiser and me on my beater MTB.
Saturday - I was up early to wash our bikes and make some adjustments. A rode her classic Schwinn cruiser all the way to Tempe Town Lake for the 2009 Tour de Fat and I rode the MTB again. The weather in Arizona is out of this world right now so even though the 7 mile ride took us a while we enjoyed every minute of it.
Once we got to the Tour de Fat it was time to get registered and participate in the parade. We had a great ride through Tempe and hung around to enjoy the festivities before riding home.
Saturday night we headed out on our bikes again to the annual party at the home of our real estate agent. We got turned around on the way there and put in some additional miles, but we finally arrived in time to enjoy some great food, drinks, and company before heading back home.

OK Computer?

2009-10-08T13:41:00.002-07:00

For being a huge nerd and loving tech toys it's pretty surprising that I've never owned a bike computer. What isn't surprising is that I have an incredible wife who could tell I really needed one. So for my birthday this year I got this guy.

Sadly, I am now on the verge of having my new favorite toy taken away. Like a small child that shoots his little sister with a new ping-pong gun; I'm having way too much fun. Who knew that seeing your current speed, max speed, and average speed could be so much fun...and so addicting.

Part of the problem is that I share all of this information with my wife who loves me. Instead of appreciating how impressive an 18mph average speed is for my commute home she can only imagine me ignoring traffic, eyes glued to the computer, and trying to achieve a new land speed record on my bike. While this is not the case, for the most part, I should probably keep more of this information to myself if I want to keep my new toy.

Interbike Outdoor Demo

2009-09-29T13:51:00.005-07:00

Bootleg Canyon is a great location for this west coast event. I can't begin to put into words how great the two days at BC were getting to ride all kinds of bikes and getting to check out the latest bike accessories. Some non bike pictures....

Interbike 2009 Day 2

2009-09-29T13:26:00.004-07:00

Day 2 brought another early morning visit to McDonalds for breakfast before hitting the shuttle to the trails. While Monday's line for the shuttle was only a couple people deep the Tuesday shuttle line was packed with 100+. Next year I'll wake up earlier on Tuesday and keep my wrist strap on from Monday (you get to move to the front).

The trails on Tuesday were a little looser and a little more crowded, but still a blast. The lower temps (90s) felt great, but the wind was still strong blowing up all kinds of dust. It was a struggle to get suited up in the hotel room, but once on site it was another day in paradise.

that's a carbon weave
stair stepper anyone
Canondale left rize
Giant 29er
Banshee Paradox
A2B electric bike (20 miles @ 20mph)
Moots Mooto xz
new special addition 100oz mule pack

Interbike Day 1

2009-09-29T13:09:00.004-07:00

Outdoor Demo in Bootleg Canyon lived up to the hype. I've included pics of most of the bikes I road on day 1. Keep in mind the weather was perfect, the community of riders A+, and the bikes were out of this world. Not a bad Monday.

GT Sensor 29er

Intense Uzzi
Santa Cruz Tallboy
Gary Fisher Rumblefish
Yeti ARC
Ellsworth Moment
Surly Pugsly
Surly Pugsly
Jamis 650B

It was a long day of riding on some really excellent trails. I took one shuttle run up to the top, but the SC Tallboy was a disappointment on the way down. The winners for day 1 were definitely the GF Rumblefish and the Surly Pugsley.

Back to basics

2009-09-15T08:54:00.002-07:00

I've been a major slacker when it comes to the blog. You'd think I'd have more time for blogging since I've also been slacking (off-season?) when it comes to training.

Upcoming events:
PBR Off-road Tri in a couple of weeks. I'm debating adding a race to my off-season. Thoughts?
Interbike - yup I'm living the dream this year. A new camera is on order and I'll try to provide daily blog updates with plenty of bike porn. If you're going this year give me a shout.

Sunday - lift w/A
Monday - lift during lunch
Tuesday - 800m swim, lift during lunch

Defying death in the off-season

2009-09-08T09:36:00.003-07:00

I guess it's official. I'm in the off-season. I made the decision to skip XTERRA Nationals (too much money, too much training) and just enjoy the fall here in Arizona exploring new places. This past weekend taught me that the off-season might just be hazardous to my health.

While hiking with friends on Granite Mountain in Prescott, AZ I came face to face with decisions and situations that are best left to Survivor Man and Bear Grylls. Almost to the summit of Granite Mountain the four of us (plus our brave pooch) experienced a sudden change in the weather. Dark clouds became pitch black, it rained, hailed, and lightning started crashing down around us. As we were several miles above the tree line we started a fear inspired run down the mountain. One particularly large lightning strike forced us under the partial cover of a large boulder where we crouched on our boots and and tried to formulate a plan. Forced to leave shelter by the fear of hypothermia, as a result of sitting cold and wet, we entered back into the melee on the mountain and continued running. The switchbacks down the mountain were quickly flooded and we should have expected that the dry canyon we hiked up would now be flooded, but we did not.
Once under the cover of the tree line we rejoiced in our safe descent and set out on a safer and more comfortable pace for the car. Not a 1/4 mile down the trail was the first of many torrents of water that impeded our way. Raging waist deep water in some parts and increasing volumes coming off the mountain and from the sky made our decisions to cross parts of the trail questionable, but again, fears of hypothermia and an ignorant focus on the proximity of a warm car drove us to cross ever deepening bodies of water.
Thankfully we all made it out without injury, although plenty cold and definitely shaken. Next time I see dark clouds on the horizon I will be thinking twice, and I plan to buy a bigger camelbak with a little more room for some extra preparation - just in case.

Still here

2009-08-26T09:01:00.002-07:00

Friday - 800m swim
Saturday - 9 mile hike in Prescott National Forest
Sunday - rest
Monday - 3 mile run / weights
Tuesday - 3 mile run
Wednesday - 800m swim / weights

Still fighting the back pain.

All jacked up

2009-08-14T10:18:00.002-07:00

After the first visit to the chiro my back was totally awesome. I was pumped, but then my neck got all kinds of crazy and I haven't been able to look right, up, or down. Not Awesome.

I saw the chiro again this morning and he tells me it's the normal process of my body coming around after being so out of whack. I'm really ready to be out of pain.

Thursday - rest
Friday - rest

Derailing the pain train

2009-08-12T11:54:00.003-07:00

As I wrote here in early May I injured my back the last weekend in April (conveniently the weekend before XTERRA Vegas). So of course I raced Vegas and then was unable to sit for longer than 10 minutes for the days following, and my back mobility was at an all-time low.

Fast forward 3 1/2 months and I'm still in pain. I've been resting, icing, stretching, and then racing/training the heck out of my back for those 3 1/2 months. I've been about a 2-3 pain level for the last 3 months and I'm sick and tired of it. So yesterday I did something about it.

Yesterday I saw Dr. Jimmy Yuan at All Star Health Spine and Sports Care. I got Dr. Yuan's name off an MTBR AZ post about chiropractors and looked him up online. In a VERY strange twist of fate Dr. Yuan had actually worked on me 8 years ago when I was in the Phoenix area on vacation and playing in a local ultimate frisbee tournament. He took me from lying face down on the field in incredible pain to sprinting and playing again in just a couple minutes with a couple adjustments. I've always told the story about "this guy in AZ" and now I've found him again.

Until yesterday that experience 8 years ago was the only chiropractic experience I'd ever had. Yesterday I got in to see Dr. Yuan again and I think I'm on the road to recovery and may have derailed the pain train. I'm a little sore from yesterdays adjustments, but my shoulders are back on my back like they're supposed to be and I'm walking taller and feeling better. It's really amazing what we can do to and with our bodies. Hopefully more improvement in the days ahead!

Training Update:
Friday: bike 40
Saturday: rest
Sunday: bike 30
Monday: swim 1200 / weights
Tuesday: run 3 / weights
Wednesday: bike 20 / weights

XTERRA Lock 4: Race Report

2009-08-03T14:08:00.011-07:00

I'm back from the swine flue (seriously) and a week long (much needed) vacation on the coast of NC. I've collected a bunch of awesome pictures from the XTERRA race two weeks ago and am finally happy to release the race report!
---------------

Swim: 14:36 - 4th AG

The water temperature was 80 degrees of perfect. Water visibility - not so much. Racing in Lake Tahoe has forever spoiled me on the clarity and taste of open water racing. Brooks lined up right behind/beside me to take advantage of some drafting and there were so few racers that the start was actually a pretty civil affair.
I started off with long strokes that felt good, despite missing a bunch of swim workouts prior to the race. At the first buoy (200m?) I made the decision to kick up the pace a notch and went to breathing every stroke. I have no idea what about this season has me breathing every stroke when in all my training and almost all my other races I have always breathed every 3rd. Weird.
I swam alone for the last 600m and was mentally preparing for the bike. It was a comfortable swim and I exited the water to racks full of bikes.

Having a loud cheering section outside T1 was good and bad. All the yelling and screaming got me really fired up, but being fired up to put on shoes and gear isn't such a good thing. Looking back I wish I had left off the camelbak. The ride was too short to carry that and I struggled to get it on and buckled in T1. On the plus side my new shoes were super fast to get in and go.Bike: 1:17:48 - 3rd AG

This is where my race happened. The bike course (two six mile loops) was my hometown course where I trained after work when I lived in Nashville. Despite not having ridden the course in over a year I could still see the entire course in my mind. I spent the plane ride from Phoenix to Nashville playing the course in my head and planning for how I would ride each section of the course. This visualization was huge home race day.
I left T1 and immediately hit it hard. This is where having fans definitely helped. My goal for the course was to always be pedaling. The course is 90% tight rolling singletrack. When I've ridden here before there are plenty of places to coast and just let the course carry you through, but I knew that the only way I was going to finish where I wanted was to always be pedaling.
I was passed by two fast riders in the first 2 miles of the course, but they were the only ones to pass me. My legs felt strong and it was so cool to be back on one of my favorite trails. I couldn't believe how comfortable I felt riding Chandler's Niner MCR. I was little worried that the steel frame would be heavy, but I was happily surprised by how light it was. Only 80mm up front felt really small, but you really don't need anymore than that for this course. It is geared as a 1x9 and there were only a couple of times I could have used a big ring up front. He had his brake levers angled kind of high and the grips felt harsh, but I couldn't have asked for a better feeling ride on a bike I had never ridden before on a course I hadn't seen in over a year.
I exited the single track on my first lap to a ruckus (my Nashville bike crew). Awesome. I had the bike in the top gear and was giving it all I had around the peninsula before starting my second lap.
Lap 2 my goal was top push harder than lap 1. I was figuring that seeing the course and feeling out the bike on lap 1 would give me an edge on the second lap. Unfortunately, I was feeling a little less excited and a little over confident on the second lap and didn't ride as hard as I probably should have. That said, I had the time of my life on the bike. It felt so good to go so fast!

Super fast with my new Yankz laces. Seriously these things rule. I was in and out in no time.

Run: 36:05 - 7th AG

My run legs were nowhere to be found coming out of t2. Maybe it was really pushing on the bike or maybe it was having done 0 transition runs in training since April. Maybe it was both. My lungs and energy level felt good, but my legs were missing. I tried to keep pushing through the resistance and tried not to think about how much just 1 transition workout would have helped me now. Once I hit the singletrack the rollers got me going with a little momentum, but I knew it was going to be tough going. I tried focusing on the weather (upper 70s, low humidity for the south, and breezy). I told myself it was like running outside with the air conditioning on - this helped.
I felt stronger at the end of lap 1 around 2 miles into the run. As I came around the peninsula and knew I had only 2 miles to go I picked up the pace. One guy in my AG came blowing past me when we hit the singletrack and I jumped right on his heels. By my calculations I was 3rd in my AG and I really wanted to be on the podium for the 1st time in an XTERRA race. I ran with this guy until he started to tucker out and I kept the pace going. At mile 3.5 I snuck a look back and saw a guy blazing up the trail behind me. I knew from the start that he was in my AG and I knew I wasn't going to be able to run the pace he had going. My only chance was that he would blow up before the finish line. No dice. He passed me with a .5 mile to go and I decided to keep my strong pace and not risk blowing up and losing anymore ground. That decision cost me 3rd place.
Two weeks later it's easy to say I should have sucked it up and tried to run with him, but at the time it wasn't an option. Every race I learn something about that feeling and about that choice that makes me a better athlete and competitor. I ran into the final shoot as one of the top overall finishers, which is a first for me. To see guys like Craig Evans still breathing hard when I finish a race is super cool. For me this race was about the bike. It was about pedaling hard the whole race and railing turns with speed that I had never done before. It took going home and the support of dedicated friends cheering me on for me to reach that level and now I'm looking forward to never going back.

2:08:29 - 4th AG - 19th OA

PS - When I did this race in 2007 I did it in 2:23:15 and finished 5th. Some better competition this year for sure!

XTERRA Lock 4 Pre-Race pictures

2009-08-03T13:50:00.004-07:00

Chandler rules and not just because he let me ride his wicked fast Niner MCR 1x9

getting racked

An elite XTERRA Pro (Craig Evans) and a 74 year old age grouper. Awesome.

beautiful morning in the upper 60's

Pre-race briefing with Brooks

Race report on hold...

2009-07-24T07:45:00.002-07:00

Really sick and headed to the doctor. My kind co-workers are sure I have swine flu. Chills, muscle spasms, and crazy high fever = not good.

XTERRA Lock 4: pre-race

2009-07-20T13:54:00.002-07:00

July 17th I boarded a plane for Nashville, TN - my home until June of last year. The 2007 XTERRA Lock 4 triathlon was my first ever XTERRA and I finished 5th in my AG racing on my Gary Fisher Rig singlespeed. I've been dying to race on this course again since I crossed the finish line two years ago.

Friday afternoon I was able to swing by Chandler's house and pick up his Niner MCR steel 29er HT that he was generously letting my borrow for the weekend. At first the small frame tubes had me kind of worried, but this bike was more than up to the challenges of the weekend. I swung by Calypso Cafe for a late lunch and then to my parents' house.

I got the Niner pretty well dialed in (raised the seat, lowered the brake levers, and put on my SPD pedals) and then hung with my folks before going out to dinner only a couple of hours after "lunch". I made a quick phone call to my longtime childhood friend who I had talked into doing this race with me in February and that got me fired up for the next morning.

Morning came pretty early - 5am central time - so 3am Arizona time. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it wasn't ideal. I ate my usual muscle milk shake, oatmeal with raisins, granola bar, and redbull. I had uncharacteristic race morning GI issues which had less to do with the race and more to do with my body's usual reaction to early morning wake-up calls.

I was on the road by 5:30am and arrived at the race site a little after 6:00am for an 8:00 start. I was the third car in the parking lot and had the fourth bike in transition. I picked up my race packet, made a couple more bathroom stops, and spent some time enjoying the cool Tennessee morning (sweatpants and sweatshirt pre-race!). Slowly friends and family arrived including Brooks who was able to grab a sweet transition spot right next to me.

More to come with pictures.....stay tuned

Decisions

2009-07-13T16:21:00.002-07:00

I've been dropping hints about the remainder of my season for a while now. I've been trying to decide between a return to playing competitive ultimate Frisbee or continuing to race triathlons and endurance events through the fall. I only took up triathlon as a temporary diversion from ultimate hoping to heal 15 years of competitive ultimate injuries. I have to admit I got hooked on XTERRA (and it really is sweet stuff), but my true love will always be ultimate. It offers a community and physical challenge like nothing I've ever known.

This past Saturday I attended the local men's practice that consisted of two scrimmages. I held my own in the first game, but by the second game I was totally spent. Endurance wise I was fine, but the strength and power of sprinting, jumping, and changing direction tapped out my limited reserve of quick twitch muscles. So after a brutal morning of practice I knew how much I missed it, but that same morning found out that playing ultimate this year would be out of reach. The team I had been planning to play for has folded for the season and taken my return to playing with it.

So what now? That's a very good question. I have 1 more XTERRA race - 4 days from now - and I'm still eying a 1/2 IM, but that looks doubtful as my mileage has tapered off with the heat and continued back pain. I'm looking at a fall filled with whatever I feel like - some ultimate, some biking, some triathlons, and a lot more getting out of town with A to backpack, hike, and explore the Southwest. I've been derelict in my adventure trip planning and this fall may be just the time to set things right.

Playing catchup

2009-07-13T16:07:00.002-07:00

Thursday - bike 40 / resistance training
Friday - Swim 1000m (10x100 - water was 91 degrees!!)
Saturday - 3.5hr Ultimate Frisbee practice
Sunday - shoveled gravel / yard work
Monday - 1000m swim / resistance training

It's been over 110 since last week. 115 yesterday and today. That's hot!

Gheral Brownlow 10k - race report

2009-07-09T15:20:00.004-07:00

I've been sitting on this for too long and now I've lost the flavor of last weekend, but here it goes:

19th overall: 2nd in Age Group: 51:22: 8:16 pace

I showed up late to a 10k at 6,000ft with over 200 people. I rode my bike to the race and started it already breathing hard, I kept up with the front guys for about a mile before they dropped me on the first big climb. I got passed by a bunch of people from mile 1-3.5. At 3.5 I had a little "come to Jesus" talk with myself and picked up the pace and picked people off. I ran miles 5 and 6 all by myself at a strong pace.

My overall pace and time were slower than I expected, but I also didn't' expect the course to have so much climbing. There was one climb where running wasn't possible and I had to walk it. Racing at altitude also made it tougher, but I felt I handled it pretty well.

It bums me out not to do a proper race report since I really had a great day riding and racing last weekend. Things at work and at home have hit light speed and I'm trying to keep it all balanced. Big update on the future of my season/plan coming in the next couple of days....let's just say Ultimate is back in the picture.

race stuff the night before

yes, that is in fact bubble wrap taped around the cords of a track bag. I realized on Friday night I didn't have a bag for carrying my run stuff to the race and at 6:30am I didn't have a sherpa. So I modified this track bag to hold my run shoes, bike lock, and other stuff with a little tape and bubble wrap. It worked, but I didn't win any style points.

Gheral Brownlow 10k - pre race

2009-07-04T16:47:00.004-07:00

Friday's late afternoon ride (14 miles) on the singlespeed was tons of fun, but brutal on my legs. The GB 10k started at 6:30am and I planned to ride the CX bike 12 miles from the house to the race. That meant an early start! I arranged my clothes, food, and bike the night before to get as much sleep as possible.

5:00am - let the dog out, ate something, and hit the road. Ahh yes, the road. On a map my route looked like an easy traffic light free 12 mile ride. In reality it was 1,000ft of climbing on a rough graded highway.
6:10 - still a ways from the race so I kicked up the pace.
6:20 - shit. 6:30 start and I'm still not there
6:27 - I come screaming up the road to find a much larger race crowd than I expected and the announcer letting everyone know we are three minutes from the gun. No late start to this race.

I lock my bike to a fence, change shoes, change shorts, grab my ipod, check in, attach my race chip and number, and hit the pack of runners waiting on the trail.

6:29:30 - My bladder is going to explode. I run off the side of the trail, pee behind a bush, and run back to the trail as the gun goes off and the pack is surging forward....stay tuned for the race report!

Race Weekend!

2009-07-04T16:04:00.007-07:00

I threw my SS and my CX bikes in the car along with the dog on Thursday night and headed up to Northern Arizona. We arrived late Thursday and spent some time with the in-laws at their house before calling it a day. A very long day. I started Thursday supervising a concrete company pouring our new yard borders in preparation for our artificial turf yard that goes in this week.

Friday morning I slept in a little bit and had some breakfast with the intention of riding trail 305 in Prescott, AZ. I've tried to ride this trail twice before. The first time it was pouring rain as soon as I got the trail and the second time I got double flats (one when I got the bike out of the car and one riding from the car to the trail head). The MTBR folks were big on 305 and I was excited ride what they were talking about. So I headed out the door Friday AM as my father in law says, "looks like we may get some rain."

Five minutes from the trail head the sky opened up and it poured. I saw blue sky to the east where the 10k I was running in the morning was being held so I headed over there to ride those trails. I got to the trail head got the bike out and BOOM - thunder, lighting, and rain. I tried waiting it out in the car, but finally called it quits and headed home.

Friday afternoon was a different story as the storms broke and I headed out to 305 one more. This time I was not disappointed!

this trail dries fast

first ride in new kicks

I've been off this bike way too long

the trail made me homesick

trees!

Why I need a plan

2009-07-02T12:12:00.002-07:00

I'm running a 10k trail race this weekend and I realized it has been a long time since I've been running. A really long time. I know I don't like running, but it's absence now looks particularly glaring in light of this weekend. I think one reason is that it is f'ing hot here. Overnight lows in the upper 80's make for nasty running conditions. I can tolerate biking in the heat, and swimming outside right now is awesome, but running - not so much.

I'm going to relax over the long weekend and get caught up on life. There has been a lot happening at work and at home over the past month and July looks to be even crazier. I'm looking forward to some much needed down time to clear my head and make some decisions.

Tuesday: (20 mile ride in/lift during lunch/20 mile ride home) shoveled gravel for 45 minutes
Wednesday: rest / shoveled gravel 1.5 hr
Thursday: 1600m swim

What I Eat

2009-07-01T09:17:00.004-07:00

I'm a big fan of James Walsh's blog and when he posted this the other day it got me thinking about my own health and nutrition. Because endurance sports can be such a personal endeavor I think it is easy to get yourself out of whack. When you play team sports there are coaches and teammates who are all putting forth similar exertion and while some can take more than others it is easy to keep a balance of work/rest. When you are one competitive SOB who likes to push sometimes it can be too much.
After reading JW's post it got me thinking about my own nutrition. I've always felt I do a pretty good job of eating enough of the right stuff to keep me fueled, but there have been times when I knew I needed to do more. I logged on to FitDay and decided to keep a food journal for a while just to track how I'm doing in reality compared to what I think I'm doing.

Day 1 (pretty normal with exception of ice-cream and rootbeer)

It is pretty cool to see I'm pretty close to right on target

So I consumed 4,452 calories and burned 4,617. Not too shabby. Pretty cool little utility with lots more feedback and graphs than I posted.

A Father's Day Tribute ( a little late)

2009-06-30T10:33:00.003-07:00

This morning I made the increasingly familiar 20 mile bike commute to work. Tonight I'll ride the same 20 miles home. It was 88 degrees on the way in and will be 108 when I leave tonight. Just when I start to feel like some kind of martyr to the biking cause, I'm reminded of just how cushy I have it compared to my Dad, who still makes his own 14 mile round trip commute by bike.

First let's look at my commute:

20 miles
little to no elevation change
bike lane the whole way
never any precipitation
3 months a year of triple digit weather / 9 months of perfect weather
private commuter room with showers and lockers at work
indoor bike storage
new bike co-op at work for all repairs

Now my Dad's commute:

7 miles
rolling hills
no bike lane, some limited multi-use path
rain in summer, some snow in winter = frequent wet/icy roads and storms
bike locked in public parking garage
shared office bathroom

I think it is important to note that until just a few years ago my Dad's route involved crossing a creek on a sewer pipe while carrying his bike. At times the pipe was slick as the result of natural phenomenon, and at times it was booby-trapped (greased) to keep him from crossing. He's ridden in hail, sleet, snow, rain, humidity, and heat. He's had to change in his office for years and clean up in the bathroom. I've ridden when it's hot outside...hmmm.

I feel a great deal of pride in continuing the bike to work tradition. So tonight when it's 108 and the oven-air-breeze blows across the blacktop I'll be thinking about just how good I really have it and what an inspiration my Dad is.

It's been tough

2009-06-29T16:19:00.002-07:00

Last week was a tough week. The ugly "your job is in danger" monster reared its ugly head again. The state continues to struggle to find answers to the current budget and future budget shortfalls. A 1% tax increase vs decimating k-12 and higher education with further cuts seems like an easy choice to me, but I admit I'm highly biased.

My plan B has been to return to graduate school for my PhD if I lost my job, but that plan took an unexpected turn when I learned my application had been rejected. This was particularly jaw dropping because I saw my application as a safety and had received feedback that led me to believe I was in with no worries. Now I'm worried.

This weekend was a nice break from thinking about Plan A and Plan B. I worked 24 of 48 hours in our backyard. The highs were 108 the low in the mornings was 88. I shoveled gravel, shoveled gravel, dug out stumps, and carried heavy things - like gravel. My body hurts so bad today it is unreal. I can hardly grip anything between the blisters and the muscle pain and my back has really flared up again. The good news is we are 24 hours closer to having a backyard.

I've got a local 10k race this coming weekend. I've been doing almost no running. It's going to hurt, but be a good measure of where my run fitness is right now. I've been killing the bike so hopefully there's some crossover.

Training Update:
Thursday - bike 40 miles (split 20/20, to/from work) with 1600m swim during lunch
Friday - strength session at the gym
Saturday - yard
Sunday - woke up at 5:30 to ride the SS, but I couldn't do it, can't imagine how bad the day of yard work would have felt had I ridden before I started
Monday - 1600m swim during lunch, trying to loosen up my back and hands

Wednesday June 24th, 2009

2009-06-25T09:02:00.001-07:00

No swim. No bike. No run. No lifting, stretching, or recovery. Instead of any of these things I ate this for dinner and crashed. The brownie I had for dessert is not pictured. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

HEAT

2009-06-24T15:56:00.004-07:00

The heat is here. The next couple months are our equivalent of winter. People hunker down indoors to beat the heat, unless your a triathlete trying to train, then you get up early and suck it up in the evenings.

Today we are having a guy give us an estimate on synthetic turf for our backyard. It is always green, always soft, no need to water, and made from recycled products. The only downfall is the expense. I could live without grass in the desert, but not without the pool. I've been enjoying nightly swims before bed. I'd like to see that during tough weather months other places.

I placed a pretty hefty order of new bike parts today. I'm getting ready to repair my Niner EMD race bike from the XTERRA in Show Low. I'm also making some upgrades to my full suspension rig and my CX bike. I'm really pumped for a fall full of great riding on some amazing bikes...and the new bike co-op!!

Long run with A on tap for tonight, should have cooled off to around 100.

For my female readers

2009-06-23T09:51:00.003-07:00

How do you handle having to pee on long rides? A and I have been enjoying some long road rides lately, but we always spend some portion of the ride with her furiously looking for bathrooms. The debate on what happens if we can't find one has been total speculation at this point, but we do agree on how TriDiva probably handles this...Thoughts? Suggestions? Stories?

Pictures from the weekend

2009-06-23T09:42:00.002-07:00

Father's day ride - I'm 15 miles in

according to A, finding this was the best part of the ride
empty streets

say goodbye to the flat road

the last 3 miles of my 43 mile day were on this beast (just like this)

A's new classic cruiser

shoveling gravel in triple digit heat - awesome

trenching

a training update

2009-06-23T09:30:00.002-07:00

Thursday - I biked 20 miles home from work, jumped in the pool, then hit up happy hour with friends

Friday - I was totally spent and took the day off

Saturday - I meant to go swim, but we got busy re-arranging the living room, removing closet doors, and planning our drip irrigation system and backyard.

Sunday - 15 mile road ride to in-laws for father's day, met A there and rode a 25 mile loop with her, then we had a nice lunch with my father in-law and drove half-way home before buying ANOTHER bike. This is a cruiser for A, but since we already had two bikes in the car I got to ride it the 3 miles back to the house. Long day on two wheels - 43 miles. Got home and started trenching for the irrigation system. It was a long day.

Monday - tried to run in the AM, but felt sick and had to settle for a walk with the dog. Tried to workout during lunch (swim), but still felt sick. First day of big time triple digit heat in the valley and it hit me hard following a long day of exertion Sunday. I think I'm really dehydrated and my nutrition is out of whack.

Tuesday - 1,000m swim AM / 30 min elliptical lunch and lifting

Back in the Valley

2009-06-17T14:03:00.002-07:00

Monday was the start of a new training plan. My new plan is focused on a 70.3 race in October. That's a 1/2 Ironman distance for all those non tri folks. With just one more XTERRA back home in TN left for the year, I'm looking ahead to the 70.3.

Monday - 1,600m swim / lift during lunch
Tuesday - 4 mile run / lift during lunch
Wednesday - 20 mile bike to work / 1,400m swim during lunch / shovel gravel

I've had a lot of fun working with the new bike co-op. This is going to be such a sweet addition to campus and to my professional career.

N. AZ training camp - day 3

2009-06-16T10:00:00.002-07:00

Recovery. That's what Sunday brought. I thought about an easy run to loosen up and put in some more miles, but instead my mother-in-law, who is a yoga instructor extraordinaire, put me through a 2 hour personal yoga class outside. Thank god for the calming views and gentle breeze because most of the postures were focused on hip openers and I was struggling.

After yoga I could feel so much more blood flowing to my legs and was psyched to have learned some great new stretches. I grabbed some more recovery fuel (cold beer) and hit up the hot tub one last time before the trip back to the Valley.

A full weekend for sure and when we weren't working out we were eating great food, drinking, and even found time to check out The Hangover (two thumbs up) and just read and relax. If only every weekend could be like that!

Weekend totals:
30 miles on the bike
4.5 miles running
2 hours of yoga + more recovery

Some small totals, but for being at altitude and trying not to push my back too much it felt just right.

N. AZ training camp - day 2

2009-06-16T09:51:00.005-07:00

Saturday I decided to head out on my own in search of more miles on the bike. It was crazy windy and I quickly regretted my decision, but once I was out I knew it was only going to make me stronger, especially with winds so strong I had to pedal downhill.

On the road

decent shoulder, but too much traffic

too scared on the side of the hwy for a good shot

I found a pretty good loop from the house that came to just under 20 miles with one really good 8 mile climb. I can't wait to do this again and maybe add some more to it. Climbing on the CX bike at 6,000ft is great XTERRA training!

I came back from my road ride and made a quick transition to a run with A and the dog. We hit a mix of road and trails on a 4.5 mile out and back. For the first mile my legs felt great and I was feeling strong coming off two big days on the bike, but then we hit a climb and I was loosing steam fast. Thankfully A had a great pace going and helped pull me along to grind out the rest of the run.

Saturday's post brick recovery was perfect. I enjoyed some cold beer in the hot tub before an afternoon of geeking out playing computer games. Oh Command and Conquer....
Road ride: 18 miles
Run: 4.5 miles

N. AZ training camp - day 1

2009-06-16T09:14:00.007-07:00

This past weekend was AWESOME!! A and I skipped town on Thursday night and headed up to northern Arizona. This state is amazing and so beautiful. At 6,000ft, cooler weather, killer trails, and a house in the mountains Prescott is becoming one of my favorite destinations.
Friday morning we slept in, ate a relaxing breakfast out back while enjoying the views, and then got ready to hit the local trails. A had given up on joining me on anymore MTB adventures, but she was excited about some easier dirt riding free from traffic. Our new CX bikes are just the ticket for this kind of adventure. We mapped out a route where we could bike from the house and hit the Iron King and Peavine trail systems - old railroad lines converted to trail. Paradise.

ready to head out

3 miles on busy streets before this

the views and the trails all to ourselves

granite dells

taking a break

such a pretty ride

heading north on the Peavine trail

not quite as pretty at the far northern end

A is not amused by my shooting while riding

"if you crash..."

trail side flowers

Bike Co-op

2009-06-11T13:53:00.002-07:00

Imagine you're at your desk when your thoughts drift to last night's ride or the epic adventure you have planned for the weekend. We've all done it (I'm making certain assumptions about my readers here). As quickly as if you heard you boss's footsteps in the hall you are brought back to reality by the realization that your bike(s) are not quite in the perfect condition you wish they were. Admit it, there is always bike work to be done. If only there was a way that your bike could be tuned for you while you were at work...

I'm guessing there are very few employers that provide an in-house bike shop as part of their perks (Google?). Imagine bringing your bike to work, dropping it off at the in office shop, doing your job, and then picking up your rig freshly tuned for the evening's ride. This is my new reality. Not only has my employer decided to dedicate significant funds to fully outfitting a shop with all the wonderful tools you could imagine, but they're employing a mechanic as well. And who did they select to oversee this venture?

That's right, if you ride your bike to work wearing lots of reflective flair, take the occasional shower in the bathroom, and come in on Mondays with bruises, open wounds, and a great big smile to accompany stories of your latest off-road adventure your employer may just reward you with supervising your very own in-office bike shop.

Some days are certainly better than others...

Buying new parts...

2009-06-08T11:30:00.004-07:00

When this happens....

It's time to buy new parts.
And you can't just replace what was broken....updates coming.

Training post Show Low has been low key. I need my back to heal and I have only one more XTERRA race this year in late July. Despite a stable of bikes I am currently without a rideable mountain bike - a very sad state of affairs, but probably the best for my back.

Monday - strength training /stretching
Tuesday - rest
Wednesday - strength training /stretching
Thursday - light cardio + strength training /stretching
Friday - strength training /stretching
Saturday - 30 mile road ride with A
Sunday - rest
Monday - AM swim (1,400m) / lunchtime strength training

XTERRA Show Low - race report (long one)

2009-06-01T10:59:00.014-07:00

Swim
I lined up next to Tri Diva's CoachHubby (no plans to draft off him after Vegas) and was treading water at the start. It seemed like an unusually violent start with lots of people grabbing and elbows and feet finding their mark. I started breathing every stroke because I knew the altitude would mess with me and even this was not enough to keep my system in check(6,500ft? starting elevation for the swim).
At about 300m into the swim I started feeling really sick. The pack had not thinned out, and while I was making pretty decent progress I felt boxed in by swimmers, the cold water hurt my face, and like I couldn't breathe. Being a strong swimmer I think this is particularly scary because I so rarely experience anxiety in the water. I had no choice but to try and ease back and get my head and my body in check. I didn't really succeed at either as I rode out a miserable swim wondering how one would throw up while swimming in open water and feeling weak.
Time 14:12. 1:46 pace for an 800 compared to Vegas where I swam the 1600 at 1:30. Suck.

My swim has been off this season and I think it's because I've been working so much on the bike and run and my back injury has really limited my reach and power in the water.

T1
They had wetsuit strippers available, but never having used this before and being pretty quick out of my suit, I started stripping down and running up the short climb to transition. I was still having a hard time breathing and was slow to get in and out of T1. I finally got suited up and was preparing myself to struggle all morning, but was glad I wasn't as cold as I feared I would be - mid 50's at the start.

my little girl watching transition

Bike
This is the real story of this race. I'll summarize it by saying it was the good, the bad, and the ugly. I hadn't ridden a mountain bike since the XTERRA race in Vegas almost a month prior because of my back pain. I hadn't had a chance to pre-ride the course. I was riding at close to 7,000ft in wet, sticky, and rutted mud. And I had the ride of my life...almost.

I immediately felt at home on my Niner EMD. This bike and I were made for each other. I've never felt such a connection with a bike and right out the gate I got after it. My breathing calmed down and I was catching people. I've grown used to being passed on the bike, but not this day. I can really tell a difference in my climbing from all the miles I've put in on the road.

Four miles into the race and the mud began. It was sticky and slippery at the same time. My PAM coated bike was definitely picking up less muck than other people and I was making some great moves past people stopping to unclog drive trains and forks. Just when I was about to really pull away I lost the front end and bit it. The muddy ground made a soft landing, but totally clogged up the bike despite the PAM. I tried riding, but now at a vicious climb I had no choice but to push. My back was violently apposed to pushing in the mud and I started feeling pretty intense pain that made me question how the last 2/3 of the bike and the 5 mile run would go.

this was clean compared to other racers

Clogged drive trains and rear triangles were the name of the game. Everyone was off their bikes and trying different strategies for carrying, pushing, and rolling bikes backwards up the hill. It was the sticky kind of clay that pulls up rocks and tree limbs. I lost ground to a couple guys in my AG because I was having a hard time finding a pushing position that didn't hurt. At the top of the climb was a gradual descent that I bombed down and lost a lot of muck that had been on my bike.

I could see a pack of 5 riders in the distance, but couldn't find the legs to catch them on my own. There was one rider ahead of me who was running about the same speed and I knew I couldn't pass him on the narrow singletrack so I started talking to him, "Let's go get those guys!", "You got it!", "Faster!". It worked. He dropped me and I had to really push to catch back up and ride his lines. It was awesome. We got to within a couple lengths of the front group and the trail widened enough for me to pass and continue the assault. My motivation looked pretty spent as I passed and his pace slowed. I owe that guy a beer or two. I couldn't have done it without you.

Before I could catch the front group there was an aid station which meant I was a little over 1/2 way. I opted for a bottle and a gu on the flat jeep road after the aid station and let the group get out ahead. After getting some hydration and nutrition I was ready to hammer out the rest of the race.

I put the Niner in the big ring and never looked back. There were miles of wide jeep road and my big wheels and legs were totally in sync. I passed the group of 5, I picked off one or two other riders (not sure of AG) and built a lead. This was the good.

Here comes the bad. Bombing down a hill I see what looked like an earlier part of the course on my left. There had been volunteers all over the course at any questionable turns so I assumed I kept descending. Then I noticed how few tire tracks there were in the mud. I had two riders behind me, but I whipped around and started climbing back to the part of trail I had recognized. Now there was a volunteer there waving the group of 5 in my AG to turn where I had continued straight. I managed to pull within just a 100 yards or so and figured I still had enough time to put some distance on them before the run.

Then the ugly happened. On a relatively clear section of trail I downshifted - or thought I was downshifting. There was a horrible noise followed by me being thrown from the bike. From the ground I saw the guys in my AG pedal off into the distance, but I still had thoughts of catching them. Then I saw my bike. The chain was busted in half and the rear derailleur was bent up and backwards into the spokes of the rear wheel. I didn't fully recognize how bad the damage was because I didn't want to admit that the 14 miles I just rode were all for not. I pulled the derailleur from the rear wheel and started running with the bike.I would get some speed, jump on, and coast before getting off to run and coast again. I did this for the next 1.5-2 miles. It hurt, it made me angry, and it made me sad all at the same time. When I neared the last climb to transition and people saw why I was running alongside everyone else riding, I got a surge of energy from the support of the crowd. I cranked it up a notch and ran my bike in to transition with two guys in my AG.T2
I was still feeling the rush of having actually made it to the run when I entered transition. However, I couldn't figure out how to re-rack my bike in all the excitement and came out of T2 behind the two guys I entered transition with. I was hot on their heels and told myself I just had to hold on starting the run.

trying to catch the shirtless guy

Run

The crowd recognized me and was yelling for me leaving transition. I was running in the shadow of the two guys ahead of me until we entered the woods. Without the energy of the crowd, and having been redlining it for far too long, exhaustion hit me and put bricks in my shoes. I slowed my pace and watched the AG guys fade away. Then I walked.how my little one entertained herself while I ran

At mile 1.5 I started getting some strength back. At mile 2 I started thinking it was a beautiful day, and when I hit the turnaround at mile 2.5 I had a realization that changed my race. All the guys I saw running at me on my way back were behind me - and I had carried my bike 2 miles. I am a bad ass.

I thought more about being a bad ass and kicked up my pace. I was running alone and kept pushing harder. I was still running alone. I came out of the woods and saw two guys running down a gully and into the lake (the course had two, fairly long, deep water crossings on the run. I knew I could catch them. By the second crossing I was behind them and on the muddy all fours climb up the opposite bank I made my move closing the gap to running right behind the leader. I wasn't sure when to make a move for fear he would see we were the same AG and have more left in the tank.

Now I see youclosing the gap

making my move on the hill

When I thought the finish was only a couple hundred feet away and around a corner I made my move and passed.

Around the corner I saw nothing but more trail. I continued to push hard fearing he was right on my heels. I saw more trail. I continued pushing too afraid to look back and growing ever more concerned that I couldn't keep this pace. Finally a volunteer directed me to a set of water bar stairs and I scampered up before hitting the road and the finish line in sight. I snuck one glance and saw no one behind me, but put on the afterburners just be sure.2:41:58 - good enough for 8th in my age group

It might be surprising that I couldn't be happier with the results. All in all I had an amazing race overcoming physical and mental challenges that I never could have anticipated. The "what ifs" of the weekend are completely overshadowed by the sense of personal accomplishment in finishing and racing the way I did. This weekend taught me a valuable lesson about why I race. The challenge and personal experience of an event like this are incredible. This weekend was deeply personal, rewarding, and an incredible success.

More Pre-race

2009-06-01T10:30:00.005-07:00

The car all packed up and ready to go. I love being able to easily put the bike in the car.

Beautiful Salt River Canyon

We arrived and this started

Beautiful conditions on the lake race morning

Setting up transition

warming up for the swim

5:00am alarm on Sunday morning for a 7:00am race start. Why start at 7:00? Ugh. I didn't sleep well despite (because?) I went to bed at 8:30.
At 5:00am, feeling restless and tired, I wasn't hungry but put down my race day breakfast that has really been working well for me: muscle milk shake, banana, cup of oatmeal, and a granola bar immediately upon waking up. I follow this with a red bull in transition about 45min before the start. I forgo any caffeine in the days before a race.
We packed up the car and made the short drive to Fools Hollow park. The conditions on race morning were calm and cool. I was feeling a little more anxious than usual as I hadn't seen any of the bike or run course and heard the water was cold and the bike course was wet and muddy. Saturday night I ran out to the store and bought some PAM spray for coating the bike. I learned this back in TN so I gave the bike a good spray in the parking lot Sunday morning before heading to setup transition.
I got caught up with Tri Diva and her CoachHubby in the parking lot and briefly in transition. No cell phone service in Show Low meant we missed them more than once :(. It is always good to see them! BTW - They Killed it on Sunday!!!
I got in the water for a quick swim, no real warmup only feeling how cold the water was. Those of us trying to get a good position started at the end of the dock treading water before the start and that's where the race report follows...

Pre-race = rain

2009-05-30T16:20:00.002-07:00

Pre-Race - XTERRA Show Low
Its raining. The race director this afternoon said that everyone who rode the course yesterday in these conditions came back with bikes that were 15 pounds heavier. Nothing like lots of climbing in lots of clay mud. Awesome. I've been getting so psyched to crush this weekend and swim, ride, and run fast...now it's going to be a messy battle all day.

So I didn't get to pre-ride today (rain and lightning) and the course is also supposed to be somewhat confusing. This sounds like a winning combination. During the race briefing there was something about a locked gate that they don't have the keys to so you have to climb over it with your bike. Glad I at least made the meeting.

The drive up here wasn't great for my back and now I'm just sitting around trying to stay loose. Early 7am start in the morning. 57 degrees. It is over 100 back in the Valley so this is going to be a big shock racing in cold rain. I might pick up some PAM after dinner for lubing up the bike in the AM if the rain continues.

Never know what to expect with XTERRA. I think that's why I like it.....I think.

Taper time

2009-05-28T16:40:00.002-07:00

My back is finally coming around. It is still painful, but I plan to race full tilt this weekend, no holding back, no protecting the back. I'm going for it.

Wednesday - lift during lunch / 5 mile run with A after work
Thursday - bike to work(20), lift during lunch, bike home (20)
Friday - I was going to hit the trails and ride with friend in town, but I'm thinking I have to bail and just rest the legs before the big weekend. Planning an easy swim and strength session in the AM.

FAST--->

2009-05-27T11:09:00.001-07:00

I'm getting more excited about XTERRA Show Low. I've been thinking all morning about swimming fast, biking fast, and running fast. My back is better than before Vegas and it is a shorter course. I do much better at this distance and I'm getting fired up to race. It should be a great weekend!

Counting down...

2009-05-26T16:01:00.002-07:00

My next race in Show Low, AZ is coming up this weekend. My plan had been to rest my back and go into this weekend feeling healthy and strong. Well, I got a little too aggressive with the training and ramped up the mileage probably a little too soon. I've been able to handle the miles (and the pain) but I am going to need to take some serious recovery after the race in Show Low.

Training Update:
Saturday - 2.3 mile hike up/down Camelback Mountain followed by 17 mile road ride (loving the new bike).

Camelback It may be short, but it's steep.

Sunday - 3 mile run (lots of back pain with running)
Monday - rest
Tuesday - AM 1,600m swim, lunchtime lift and back stretches, PM MTB?

An open letter

2009-05-22T10:13:00.005-07:00

To the cyclist who passed me on the way home,

How are you so fast? I've been riding and enjoying bikes for some time now, but I still have no explanation for what happened last evening. Before I go any further I need to let you know that I'm a triathlete, but you probably could have guessed that based on how I was riding. I know I don't really belong to any accepted group in the world, but my choice to be well rounded and mediocre across three areas is still no excuse for what happened last night.

We crossed paths when I was 35 minutes into my commute home from work and riding my new cyclocross bike, which until I met you, I thought was pretty damn fast. I've made several changes to my on the road riding in the past year - clipless pedals and skinny tires being the most notable. Because of these changes and the hours I spend training to be an "athlete" I consider myself a pretty worthy competitor.

In the 90 seconds before you calmly said, "on your left" I had decided that this flat, smooth, and traffic free stretch of pavement would be the perfect place to hammer with everything I had and see how fast I could possibly go on a bike. I was in the biggest gear, I was laying down low in the drops, my heart was about to explode, my legs were on fire, and I had about 30 seconds left at this rate until I wouldn't be able to take it anymore. It was at this moment that you so kindly informed me that you would like to pass with a, "on your left" call.

Now, maybe you had been drafting off of me enjoying some recovery time, injected some oxygenated blood, eaten a gu, and washed it down with a nice sip of water. None of that is an explanation for how you were able to overtake me and pedal off into the distance and completely out of sight before the next light. I'm a competitive SOB and I would have loved nothing more than to turn on the afterburners and show you what was what, but I was seconds from falling over from exhaustion as it was and couldn't even muster the strength to think about chasing you.

So, thank you for ruining my self esteem for the day and any dreams I may have had about the quality of my ride and the level of my fitness. If you happen to come across this and feel like sharing how the hell you got to be so fast I'd appreciate it.

Sincerely,
XTERRA29er

Training Update

2009-05-20T16:25:00.002-07:00

Saturday - worked on the house in the morning, but then spent some quality time building a new bike in the afternoon. Unfortunately, it is the kind with the skinny tires so you can only be so excited about it, but a new bike is a new bike. Skinny tires are the first step toward a 1/2 IM in the fall.

Sunday - I had to take the new bike for a ride. Relaxed pace just trying to get a feel for the ride - SWEET! I threw in a couple of hard sprints just to see how fast it would go - FAST! Pretty exciting to add another beast to the stable. I rode up by Tempe Town Lake and was excited to do some exploring, but what I found was this. I was so bummed to find out there was a tri in my own backyard on a weekend when I would have been totally up for racing. Grrr..

Monday - AM Swim 1800 / lunchtime lift

Tuesday - AM run on SoMo 45 minutes on the trail with lots of climbing. Great morning run, but the trail wrecked my back that had been recovering well.

Wednesday - AM swim (45 minutes straight) / lunchtime lift

Tonight I am doing the Ride of Silence and excited to meet up with some other bike folks in the area. My plan for Thursday is to do the big ride to work and ride home all bike commute day. It's 40 miles and I have the legs. I just hope I have the back for it. Get out and do your local Ride of Silence if you can!

Changing Dates

2009-05-15T15:49:00.002-07:00

OK XTERRA - what's the deal?

I want to love you but you make it hard when:

You cut a bunch of races from the 2008 to the 2009 season
You list races for 2009 and then cancel them
You list races for 2009 and then change their dates

WTF? Just found out that XTERRA Lock 4 back in Nashville has been moved from July 12 to July 18. No big deal unless you already planned your summer, bought tickets, and had gotten psyched about going back home on a different weekend. With Snow Valley cancled and Lock 4 moved this season is totally upside down.

miraculous recovery

2009-05-15T10:48:00.002-07:00

Our dog appears to be on the up and up. Blood tests showed improved protein levels, she's not losing protein through her urine, and while some thickening showed up on her ultrasound she has been acting like the happy dog she is. The vet is still concerned because they can't explain the recovery, but she's eating, playing, and pooping like she should and that's good enough for me and a big relief for our little family.

I on the other hand have not had such luck. Given the circumstances I think I too am healing, but more slowly. It's my own fault. I returned to everyday training this week despite my back pain. I've made some modifications and cut back on distances, but got back to it this week. While I'm sure this is to the detriment of my recovery I've had more energy, been in a better mood, and have been sleeping well again. It's kind of scary what a week without exercising does to my mood, energy, and sleep routine.

I might try some rigorous workouts this weekend and see how the back responds. I've got a buddy who's going to do XTERRA Deuces Wild so hopefully we can start training together next week. UPS should be delivering a package today that will get my weekend off on the right track...pictures soon!!!

Monday - 4.5 run
Tuesday - lift arms
Wednesday - AM lift / lunchtime swim (1,600)
Thursday - AM lift / PM trainer ride (30min)
Friday - AM lift / lunchtime swim (100, 800 build, 400 race, 100 cool down)

XTERRA West Cup Video

2009-05-13T08:43:00.004-07:00

So brutal at the time, but so cool to look back at the video...

The multisport pandemic

2009-05-12T13:38:00.002-07:00

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. Elsie had her ultrasound this morning and it came back clean of any tumors or growths. We think this is a good thing right now.

In the world of people....
Forget the swine flu, it seems like everyone I know in XTERRA or the tri world is hurting these days. I've got a tab in iGoogle devoted to multisport blogs and you'd think it was the injured reserve roll call. James Walsh is having crazy quad issues, the soon to be Mrs. JW is also hurt, XTERRA pro Cody Waite is nursing a back injury, Zippy is recovering from being sick, and then there's my boy Coop with knee and ITB pain, Tri Diva is wired like a fembot, and Trevor even took a fall on the bike the other day. If this isn't a pandemic I don't know what is.

My plan to "rest"my back was derailed by a 4.5 mile run on Monday. Pretty painful when I got home and cooled off, but I felt good on the run. I've missed working out. Today I had to drop the dog off before work and will pick her up later. I might be able to squeeze in a strength session at the house.

Everyone needs to get healthy out there!!

Priorities

2009-05-11T16:01:00.003-07:00

I've been pretty quiet since the race in Vegas. There are a bunch of reasons for this but the short version is that my back has been really painful, it's the end of the semester at work so my busiest time of the year, and our dog has become dangerously sick and we've been spending lots of time at the vet and lots of time at home taking care of the pup.

I swam Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday last week. Easy 1,400m each day just to try and stay in some kind of shape while I wait for my back to calm down. Nothing too exciting on the training front as this is all I've done since Vegas. I'm planning to try a run tonight after work - fingers crossed.

I was really disappointed that after months of training I went into Vegas hurt. Now it looks like my recovery could last a while and I'll go into the race in Show Low without the kind of fitness I have been working so hard to achieve. The positive side of this is that I've been able to chill out a little and think about my priorities and spend some good times with family and friends.

Looks like the DSG - 12 hr race in Tennessee was even sloppier than last year. Got to give a big shout to team Cul Da Sac. Sad to have missed a weekend with friends, but kind of glad to not have traveled across the country for pushing a bike through muck.

I'm still going to get the Vegas race report out at some point. It just hasn't been a priority.

15th AG - quick pics

2009-05-04T20:35:00.004-07:00

XTERRA West Cup, Las Vegas - 15th in my age group

I think this was the toughest XTERRA course I've ever done. The run was brutal and that's where my back and my race totally came apart. I was able to put together a pretty decent race up until the run and even then it wasn't that I didn't have the legs - ugh.

I'm just glad I was able to finish the race and a couple points for 15th in a competitive field isn't too bad. A and I had a great time relaxing in Vegas during the rest of the long weekend, although I was in some intense pain on Saturday PM and Sunday AM. Some quick pics....

Me, Diva's coachhubby, and TriDivaSuper cool swim startIn transition
all climbing (except the SKETCHY downhills)and I thought this meant the hurting was over

Quick Pre-race

2009-05-01T21:38:00.003-07:00

Arrived safe and sound in Vegas. Got a quick chat with Tri Diva in the parking lot and then hit the course for a pre-ride on the bike. This is a super gnarly course, very XTERRA in that you never know what you're going to get.

Went to the pre-race talk by Stolz and McQuaid. When Conrad isn't planning on riding the whole course and thinks the run is all climbing "much steeper and harder than Snow Valley" a part of me gets kind of scared.

I only rode 6 of the 9 mile loop today. My back is really flaring up and cramping so tomorrow's race is going to be a battle on all fronts.

Race report as soon as I can. Good luck to everyone tomorrow!!

Watcha gonna do?

2009-04-30T12:43:00.002-07:00

So today's big news is that the state universities in Arizona altered (reduced) their tuition surcharge requests and they were all adopted by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) with the exception of ASU. Not Good.

ASU had been requesting $1,200 per student and then last night reduced that amount to $600 for in state and $800 for out of state students. Today ABOR approved $510. At a school with over 60,000 students this means millions and millions of dollars in shortfall. This means more layoffs and/or furloughs. I was hoping to head into my big race weekend on a more positive note.

The good news is that my back is slowly getting better and I'm planning on racing this weekend. I'm also hoping to be able to enjoy some time away from work in the next couple of days when I'm sure people will be very distressed over this latest news. I think we are all ready for some closure one way or another. Like so many things it's the waiting that's killer.

Back in the pool

2009-04-29T15:07:00.001-07:00

I got out for a light swim during lunch today. The outdoor pool at work opened this week and it was a brisk 68 degrees in the water. Thank god it was warm out today or I never would have made it. The good news was that I could swim - the bad news was that it hurt. I swam an easy 600 and then did some stretching. If the race were today I don't think I could do it, but the race is Saturday so I still have some time.

68 degree water is no joke. Especially without a wetsuit. No word on water temp in Vegas, but it's going to feel toasty after today's swim.

Enough w/ the doom and gloom

2009-04-29T09:08:00.002-07:00

I'm getting psyched for this weekend.

This weekend I get to race - a real race, the kind where I get to swim fast, bike fast, and run fast. Oh, and it's on trails, someplace warm, that's a short drive, and I get a sweet vacation out of it.

I took Monday and Tuesday totally off to get my back to calm down. It's working and I have a lot more range of motion, but still not enough to race. I'm going to try and swim today and see if I can loosen it up some more and see where I'm at. My mental game is coming along nicely and I know I'll be ready to race come Saturday morning.

Today my off-season tri coach made an unexpected stop by my office and got me really fired up to bring it this weekend. This economy needs to turn around cause I could be sooo much faster if I worked out with Dameon. If Thursday's meeting goes well and I keep my job I've got a new bike lined up as well. I'm not going to jinx it, but it's going to be sweet.

Year two of racing XTERRA starts Saturday. Hell yea!!

Not Good

2009-04-27T11:22:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was my last big workout before XTERRA West this coming weekend. I headed out to the McDowell Mtn. race park where they have a collection of awesome high speed loops for riding. A was going to hike with the dog while I practiced riding/running. When we arrived the paramedics were there along with the sheriff and life flight chopper. Word at the park was a rider was badly injured on one of the loops and having to be carried out and then flown out for treatment. It wasn't good. My thoughts go out to the rider and his family.

I hit the sport loop x 2 for a warmup and easy 6 miles. I got the feel of my recently tuned bike on the first 3 and tried to hammer the last 3 at race pace. I threw the bike in the car and hit the trail on foot for a fast 3 mile transition run. The sun was relentless and I could feel myself heating up much faster than I would have liked, but I held a great pace for the run.

I got the bike back out and hit the more technical section of trail with lots of good climbing. 4 miles of riding here at race pace and then 2 miles running, again at race pace. The mileage was pretty light today but I made up for it with the effort. Got home in time for some lunch and a dip in the pool.

This is where the trouble starts. After lunch I began working on our gutters which involved lots of overhead lifting, twisting, and balancing on a ladder. Post brick workout this was extra tough. I got everything installed just fine but when I went to hang the ladder back in the garage it got away from me and I tweaked my back. It didn't seem to bad at the time, but then came this morning...

My back is jacked up. It feels like two steel rods run on either side of my spine. I've had this happen before and recovery is slow. I hit the gym this morning to warm it up and do some yoga. I'm trying to stretch it out every hour here at the office, but it is still tight and sitting all day isn't going to help.

Goals for the week:

keep my job
get healthy for XTERRA Vegas
finish grad school application
be in a good mood for our long weekend vacation in Vegas

Saturday - 2800m swim
Sunday - 6 mile ride/3 mile run, 4 mile ride/2 mile run

WTF?

2009-04-25T09:05:00.003-07:00

OK, this week is quickly getting crazy and it hasn't even started yet. A couple of updates:

XTERRA Snow Valley is canceled? WTF? First they moved the date, OK I'm cool with that, but now they cancel the whole thing. At the same time your top 4 races count this year. How is anyone supposed to hit 4 races without flying all over the country?
I find out Thursday afternoon if I still have a job. Months of waiting, ups/downs, and now it all comes down to this Thursday. Conveniently right before XTERRA Vegas. Here's hoping for some good news going into the weekend.
With my employment status lurking and race schedule in jeopardy, this week has me distracted to say the least. I'm considering some big changes.

At this point I'm thinking of scrapping XTERRA and just doing some different and unique races for fun. Mega Colossus? 1/2 IM? Anyone know of other cool races to take my mind off everything here this week?

Friday - 20 mile road ride home

Wordle Cloud

2009-04-23T14:18:00.005-07:00

Wordle is a cool utility I found working on a project for work. I used it to produce a word cloud of my blog. Awesome.

Wednesday: 40 miles road bike, 2 mile run
Thursday: Rest

Rolling

2009-04-22T08:34:00.002-07:00

Monday - 2,800 in the pool (200, 400 pull, 400 pull w/paddles, 400 w/paddles, 400, 400 pull, 400 pull w/paddles, 200). A weekend of rest really paid off. I felt great in the pool. After work I ran a solid 4 miles with A. I was really feeling good on the run. It is so cool to feel fast and confident running - that's never been the case.

Tuesday - Worked out at the gym. 15 minutes of an intense pace on the stair machine, really pushed it lifting and doing core this morning. After work I went for an easy 1.5 mile run with the dog. It was a hot one today, 102! Some recovery lounging in the pool and time with the stick.

Wednesday - Part I is done: 20 mile road ride into work this morning. Riding the 20 home and then a transition run.

9 days until Vegas. 9 days.

Monday Morning Pain Train

2009-04-20T10:04:00.002-07:00

Getting caught up:
Friday - I hit the gym for some resistance work after my long ride on Thursday and then went to a friend's show opening in the downtown arts district. Rode the new light rail and got to see a cool part of town we hadn't explored yet. Good times.

Saturday - was planning to do some training but ended up just working on the house, tuning up the race bike (I can now shift to the small ring), and enjoying owning our own pool. Sat. night we rode bikes to a party - I don't think these miles (14) count. Oh, I did ride the trainer for 30min waiting for A to get ready, but that was more so I could watch Superbad.

Sunday - Slept in. Breakfast in the pool. Blew off training and went to the zoo with A before coming home and installing a new wireless network drive and trying to get it to play nice with my PC and A's Mac.

So this past week was supposed to be a rest week, but I trained most of the week until the weekend, when I had planned on training, but wound up doing a whole lot of nothing on the training front. It was fantastic. I'm not a pro, I'm not winning any money, and I have great friends and family with whom to spend time with, and sometimes that's just the ticket.

Less than two weeks until XTERRA West. My plan is for an absolutely brutal week this week with crazy mileage in all areas and then an easy taper week. I put in a hard 2,600 in the pool this morning and that is just the start!

Bike+Bike+Hills = pain

2009-04-17T10:56:00.002-07:00

Thursday was all about the bike. In fact, most days have been about the bike lately. I rode a total of 28 miles on the road (beater commuter MTB) and 10 on the trail (Niner race bike). the 10 on the trail were pretty much all hill repeats trying to improve my climbing.

Unfortunately, my trail riding was after 21 miles of road riding and on some pretty technical sections of trail, so I was struggling. I was also riding alone and I always fear having to call A because I've busted my head open when riding alone so I tend to "play it safe" which I think is probably more dangerous than just bombing through sections.

Last season in XTERRA my bike and my run were mediocre at best. I think my poor runs had more to do with poor biking than running. I would expend too much energy on the bike and was spent by the run. This year I trained and completed the 1/2 marathon as some off-season work on my running and I've been riding longer and harder than at any point in my life. I'm really hoping this pays off in two weeks.

Two weeks. That's pretty much all I have until XTERRA West. I'm excited and nervouse for what I'm hoping will be an amazing weekend. Stay tuned...

16 days

2009-04-15T14:09:00.002-07:00

XTERRA West in 16 days. An entire off-season and 12 weeks of training have passed me by and there is still so much I want to accomplish before my first "A" race of the year. I think it will always feel this way.....On the wish list is a new tri suit, goggles, dialed in nutrition, and some bike work. Damn.

27:00, 1,600 in the pool today. Right around a 1:40/100 pace. I was hoping for a little faster split than that, but I am still training in my heavy board shorts so I figure that adds quite a bit of drag over 1600. I felt confident with the distance which is more what it was about.

This week was supposed to be a rest week, but I've been toying with some training instead. Monday I lifted hard at the gym and Tuesday I rode the trainer and didn't lift. This morning I only swam, so far it is an easier week. Thursday I'm hoping to hit up SoMo for a gnarly brick workout biking/running only hills. Rumor has it that XTERRA West has some nasty elevation changes.

I've been selling a ton of stuff on eBay to build funds for a new bike. It's looking like a cyclocross bike may be in my future. I'd use it mostly for commuting/training and then I'd swap out some tires for the 1/2 IM later this year. I'm getting more excited about completing a 1/2 IM this year than about XTERRA.

My first shower at home

2009-04-14T09:03:00.002-07:00

This morning was my first shower at home in the month of April - that's 14 days. I'm pretty sure it has been longer than that, but I'm positive I've gone all of April until today. Have I been forgoing basic hygiene? How do I still have a wife? Friends? Am I just such a great guy that they can see past my disgusting exterior. The answer is no, and actually quite simple.

In the month of April I have been showering exclusively at the gym and at work. My shower at home felt foreign this morning. It is questionable that the 4th shower stall from the right in the local 24hr fitness feels more comfortable these days - especially because it is probably used by 20 or 30 other people a day, but that's the state of things at the moment. With early mornings spent at the gym and lunchtime workouts thrown in to keep it interesting I'm doing a lot of showering away from home, and I like it. That's right - I like it.

Despite are increased watering of the garden at home and the need to fill the pool more frequently, our water bill was lower last month. I'm also not using any hot water at home so our water heater isn't working as hard and we're saving electricity too. Those that know me understand just how soothing these reductions are to my psyche. I've also established a pretty comfortable routine and have been enjoying my morning gym addiction. I'm a lot more efficient at the gym than I am at home and with a busy training and life schedule every minute counts.

Easter Tri Style

2009-04-12T19:26:00.006-07:00

Today is Easter and what an Easter it was. A and I spent the day with friends and family and I managed to spend a lot of it on my bike. Amazing day!

I set an ambitious plan for the day that revolved around biking, running, and eating multiple times. I covered over 35 miles today, none of it by car, and linked together so many neighborhoods I'd only been in individually.

Phase 1 - K&T's house for brunch. This is a pretty straightforward ride that we do a lot to see our friends who live just to the north of us. I took the "long" way and made it 7 miles door to door. A was supposed to meet me at the house with running clothes for a transition run and then casual clothes but beat her there. I'd already had a mimosa when she arrived so I scrapped the transition run and just changed into something more comfortable.

We had a great time hanging out in the backyard. Friends, dogs, food, a little badminton - good times.

backyard Easter brunch

Phase 2 - Another change back into bike clothes and it was off to A's parent's house. It was a nice mixture of bike lane, multi-use path, singletrack, and canal paths. HUGE rattlesnake in the road just off the bike lane. I stopped to take pictures, but the rest of the pics were taken on the go.

preparing to head out again

huge rattler

multi-use in the Papagos

riding the canal

I arrived at A's parent's house and made a quick change to running clothes and then cranked out a hard 1.5 mile run on the crazy steep roads S. of Camelback Mountain. I ran this last summer when I lived there and it was always brutal. I felt so much stronger today despite the 18 miles I'd ridden. Back at the house I snuck a quick cold shower and then another change of clothes.

ran the road up there

We had nice visit with A's folks and enjoyed more of the incredible AZ sunshine before it was time for another change of clothes back into bike clothes.

Phase 3 - The ride home was awesome. Great weather, mostly downhill, and I was still feeling strong on the bike. I got home and A was going to go for a 5 mile run - I should have done it - but I wussed out and promised myself to go hard this next week instead. Still a good day.

headed home

Bike miles 36
Run miles 1.5
Change of clothes 5x
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Saturday - big day in the pool 3,500m and then rode the lightrail downtown to watch the Diamondbacks get trounced by LA. Sweet stadium - bad game.

What doesn't kill you

2009-04-09T11:46:00.002-07:00

Wednesday night's ride home from work was brutal. It sucked. It hurt. It was scary. And I kind of liked it...because I'm sick that way. 20 mph headwinds the whole way with gusts up to 29 mph. At one point I actually had to ride the sidewalk because I wasn't able to keep my bike in the bike lane safely. My parents and sister are nuts for riding motorcycles. Nuts.

The positive from this ride was that mentally it was a great workout. The frustration, fear, and challenge are all things that are present on race day. It is almost impossible to create adversity for yourself in training, which is why days like yesterday are so important and pushing through is so valuable in training.

The other positive was that I was supposed to have four hill climbs in yesterday's workout, but my route was totally flat so having to stand just to make forward progress on the gusty flats was a great substitute.

Solid lift session at the gym this morning and no other training for today. Resting up a little bit for a big weekend of training. I've got some calf cramping going on at the office today so I'll break out the stick and foam roller for the office and parks and recreation tonight.

Wednesday 4-8-09

2009-04-08T14:15:00.002-07:00

Last night I got home, drank a beer, and got in the pool. 92 degrees in Phoenix. Not a bad day.
Today the plan is to bike home from work on the beater bike. Still trying to sell my 29er frame from last season to pay for a new cyclocross bike which will make these road miles much more enjoyable.

Wednesday: AM lift chest/legs, PM 20 mile road ride home from work (beater MTB, loaded down, 20 mph headwind)

Registered

2009-04-07T15:01:00.006-07:00

Registered for my first"A" race of the year. XTERRA West Cup Championships. Time to get busy.....

Monday: PM easy 20 min run
Tuesday: AM swim (3x200, 2x200, 3x150, 5x100, 8x50) 2, 350 good amount of speed work today.

Quick update

2009-04-06T13:21:00.002-07:00

Friday: AM swim 2,600
Saturday: 4 mile easy MTB with A. She took a nasty spill (cuts, scrapes, totally busted ankle) 1.5 miles in and pushed on for a little while before we called it quits - bummer because we were riding up in Sedona.
Sunday: Rest day chillaxing at the in-laws house up north. Drank coffee, got in the hot-tub, helped out with some yard work and did some IT stuff for my father in-law.
Monday: AM lift - lunchtime run becomes an after work run

I'll post some pictures from the weekend soon.

Pushing through the pain...

2009-04-02T09:08:00.003-07:00

Wednesday I overslept and missed my AM gym workout. Probably for the best. I had a dentist appointment in the afternoon so I was able to hit the trails early enough to take advantage of all the daylight.

Wednesday:
Drop car at mechanic for oil change - run home 1.5 miles
At home, jump on bike and ride to SoMo 6 miles, ~ 18 miles on trail, 6 miles home
1.5 run, 30 bike

When I got back from the ride I was totally shelled. I have got to dial in my nutrition for these long rides. I've never ridden this long before on any consistent basis and I need to do a better job of eating on the trail so I don't crash and burn. Rode plenty of new singletrack on the mountain yesterday which was so sweet. Took a bunch of pics but haven't uploaded them yet.

Thursday:
AM gym - total body work + core
Lunchtime track workout 600m supersets - 1.5m warm up, 4 x (400+200), 1.5 cool down.

Plenty of sunshine and high 70s today. Not much wind for a change which made the supersets a lot more enjoyable. Friday is supposed to be a rest day but I'm thinking about knocking out my 3,500m swim in the morning.

In the market

2009-03-31T09:47:00.002-07:00

Looking for a new MTB for A. We hit up a couple of shops this weekend and I'm busy checking out craigslist as well. It might be more fun looking at bikes for her than it is for me. Her favorite ride from the weekend was an '08 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR COMP, we'll see...

Monday - Rest day - went to the gym early for an easy spin, stretching and foam roller time

Tuesday - AM lift (arms) / swim (500, 10x50 drill, 1x100, 4x50, 2x100, 200) 1,700.

#1 competition for my AG in XTERRA was at the gym this morning. Haven't seen him since the airport in Reno. Cool to chat briefly in the pool.

Weekend Brick Workouts

2009-03-31T09:31:00.002-07:00

Saturday: 200m warm up + (50,100,150,200,250,300 and then back down) = 2300m swim, quick transition at home and then on the bike.
6 mile road ride to SoMo, and then 18 miles on the trail, 6 miles home = 30 mile ride

Saturday night A and I rode our bikes to a friend's house (2 miles total) and walked to dinner (4.5 miles total) for great drinks and Mexican food. Perfect recovery food.

Sunday: 50 minute trainer ride, 6 mile run w/A

Saturday's workout was excellent and I can tell such a difference this season over last season. I may not finish any higher up the ranks in races this year, but I feel stronger and more confident. Saturday was the first day I rode my new race bike for 09 that I have been working on this spring. It was SO FAST and the most responsive bike I have ever ridden. I can't wait to spend more time on this beast!

Sunday I skipped out on my 3 x bike/run workout and rode an easy 50min on the trainer and then ran with A. The weather is so nice right now and I'm not at a level where a training plan is more important than an opportunity to run with A.

The Track

2009-03-26T16:00:00.002-07:00

Love/Hate

That's my relationship with track workouts. Mentally I love a track workout more than any other kind of workout because it is so easily quantifiable and very straightforward. Physically I hate track workouts because they are brutal (but I secretly love this).

One of the main reasons I decided to get into triathlon in 2008 was to overcome chronic knee pain from a past injury (torn PCL and meniscus). I was playing competitive ultimate frisbee and it got to the point where I was in significant pain every day. I finally decided that I was too young to live that way and gave up playing ultimate for the 2008 season. I had the choice to go under the knife for exploratory surgery, but I decided to take up triathlon for a year hoping that the multi sport lifestyle would help my recovery and build some new strength. It has been a great experience so far (year one has turned into year two), but running on the track still brings back the pain that has otherwise been absent for the past year and a half. Bummer.

I am so fortunate to have a gym, pool, and track at work. So sweet. Today's punishment will be repeated on Thursdays for the next three weeks.

Wednesday
60 min pm trainer ride - tough mentally and physically

Thursday
1.5 mile warm up
4x600 (400 level 5, 200 level 4) complete recovery after each set and on a 5 point scale where 5 is 100%.
1.5 mile cool down

You teach how you were taught

2009-03-25T14:24:00.003-07:00

One of the most interesting things I learned working on my MEd was that no matter how many hours of classroom instruction, practicum, or student teaching a future teacher endures the way he or she teaches is ultimately defined by the way they were taught. Not exactly inspiring words for the future educators of America.

While my time in the classroom was relatively short before jumping to the administrative side of the house, I can vouch for the fact that one starts off following all the principals of instruction they were taught, but quickly comes draw on their own experience as a student. I'd like to think we draw from the powerful and talented teachers in our past, but I know this isn't always the case.

How is this relevant to training? What's relevant is that even though I've been taught proper form for stroke, stride, body position, and weight lifting it is always a struggle to avoid falling back on the way I was "taught" or learned prior to becoming an "adult". When the alarm goes off early in the morning and I drag myself to the gym for a strength session I find myself all too often performing the same exercises I learned in college and not the best practice I've recently been taught.

Athletes are no different from teachers. We are taught best practice, but without supervision and attention to our own methods, we are all too likely to fall back on our familiar past instead of pushing ourselves to remain dedicated to the present. This is why we do drills, work with coaches, and consult with other athletes. This week, despite the fatigue, despite the early mornings, despite challenges, I am working to remain focused on best practice and make THAT the new familiar.

Wednesday - AM gym workout arms/light legs/core, PM bike 1hr trainer workout

I need coffee

2009-03-24T10:49:00.003-07:00

Everyday last week I had coffee in the morning. Why I decided to cut back this week I have no idea, but so far it has been brutal. No headaches or anything, but I am dragging. Anyone that knows me will vouch for the mania that sets in when I hit the java juice and I could use some of that energy these days. It could also be my first full week of work in quite a while...

Monday - skipped my leg strength session to work in the yard and on my race bike after work
Tuesday - lift chest / 1,600m swim (2x200, 2x200IM/400free)

Finding motivation in week 8

2009-03-23T12:40:00.002-07:00

Last week (week 7)was a rest week and I managed to stay fairly busy:
Monday - make-up run
Tuesday - gym workout
Wednesday - gym & short swim
Thursday - 4.5hr ride in Sedona
Friday - rest
Saturday - rest
Sunday - rest

Those last three days are misleading as we had some of our best friends in town visiting from Seattle and we were plenty busy - eating, drinking, and relaxing poolside. Yes, the temperatures in Phoenix reached the 90s which meant plenty of time in the sunshine drinking margaritas and other cool beverages. I miss them already.

After our friends left for 40 and rainy Seattle, I got to work on my race bike for the 2009 season. I'm pretty excited about it and even more excited that the build is coming mainly from existing bikes and parts around the house. It was sad to see the SS loose some of her better looking parts, but it's for a good cause and staying in the family. This also means there are some bikes and parts going up for sale...a sad and all too true part of bike ownership.

Week 8 is going to be a killer (especially this weekend) and I'm having a hard time getting back in the groove. I ate and drank too much and am left feeling lethargic. Today's workout is an easy run and leg routine which should be a nice transition from the complete inactivity of the last three days. My goal is to finish the "new" race bike in time for this weekend's big ride and brick workout.

Day in Red Rock Country

2009-03-21T09:22:00.003-07:00

Spent all day Thursday riding in Sedona, AZ. Simply amazing.

No rest for the weary

2009-03-18T12:52:00.002-07:00

Week 7 of my '09 XTERRA season is underway and it is supposed to be about active recovery and rest. Too bad that's not happening.

Monday - make up run from Sunday 4.5 miles - I set a super tough pace for this run
Tuesday - AM gym trip lift chest/back
Wednesday - AM gym, arms / 1x200, 1x400 swim - 600m total

Sounds like an easy week so far right? Wrong. We've had guests in town since Sunday and it has been fabulous to hang out eating and drinking with them, but it means staying up late, eating crap, and not being well rested. The last half of this week gets even crazier as I'm taking Thursday and Friday off work to spend more time with friends. Probably hit the gym for some total body work on Thursday and then the trails for a mellow MTB ride. Friday-Sunday is all pool time with a couple chill hikes thrown in for good measure.

I'm starting to get excited about racing on my bike and have decided to make a number of changes and upgrades to my new race bike for this season. Stay tuned...