Day 2

- 43 minute run

- Myrtl Routine

Day 1

Monday was day 1 of my 2009 XTERRA season. It wasn't very exciting workout wise. Over the weekend I did rig up my newest training tool. I bought a huge sheet of dry erase board at Home Depot and tacked it up on the wall. I've got all the workouts for the week written out and this is already making training more fun.


Future as an unemployed pro triathlete is looking more likely after budget meetings today....

Day 1:
10 min trainer ride to warm up
3x the following
20 pushups
10 bicep curls (25#)
Abs
20 bosu pushups
10 power strap curls
5 power strap rows
Abs
10 sec cross hang

New bike - New trail

This weekend has been very relaxing, which is a good thing right now. With the future of my job totally up in the air it was nice to have my aunt in town from Nashville and my riding buddy John in town from Nashville too. I've been easy on the training this weekend as I spend time with family and friends. My XTERRA season officially kicks off Monday and I am PUMPED.

Saturday John and I hit the Hawes Rd. system for some of the Valley's best riding. It was also the perfect set of trails to run my new bike through its paces. WOW. Not only did we find some new trails (thank you to whoever put in the work to create those), but the new bike is beyond incredible. I was able to drop John for the first time ever on one DH section. I never thought that would happen. Great weather continues out here - sunny and mid 70's.

Hawes Rd.

Looking out at McDowells

my mug

John enjoys the view

Going Pro

That's right, if I loose my job I'm just going to declare myself a pro triathlete, beg for sponsors, and spend my days training and racing like never before. It almost doesn't sound too bad. Watch out!

Read this - http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/134344

Then go here - http://speakupnowaz.org

Under the sea

Today could use some humor. Yesterday it was all over the local news that my job at the university, as well as those of my coworkers, are in serious jeopardy and I could soon be unemployed. While this bodes extremely well for my training and future as a competitive triathlete, it makes the day-to-day challenges of a new semester more difficult.

The humor for today is that when I was in the 4th grade my parents enrolled me in a theatre camp. That year the production was the Disney hit The Little Mermaid. I played Sebastian. Yes, the crustacean. This was a horrible experience.

During my swim this morning I kept thinking how much better everything was underwater, which inevitably led me to the the words in Under the Sea, which I will never be able to forget as long as I live. Despite the song, I did have a great workout.

Thursday AM swim:
200m warmup
250m (25 butterfly sprint/25 easy free)
250m pull
250m (25 butterfly sprint/25 easy free)
250m pull
100m cool down
1300m total

Post 1/2 marathon thoughts

I enjoyed the race experience this past Sunday and it fired me up, but not for anymore 1/2 or full marathons. What fired me up was that the race showed me that a 1/2 Ironman is possible, and is something that I would be excited to train for and compete in. I'm still focusing on XTERRA, cause it's way more fun that way, but that October 1/2 IM is becoming a bigger part of my year.

Recovery from the race has been going well. I owe a lot of that to having an indoor bike trainer and the foam roller and stick. Icing in the pool out back is also huge. Today is the first day I'm feeling pretty close to 80% again.

I got out on the MTB Monday for an easy 8 mile ride. It was my first ride on my new bike that I'd been working on all fall/winter. Monday was the first opportunity I had to ride it on the trails and I wasn't about to let some tired legs keep me from riding. I'm pumped about the new ride, but have lots of adjustments to make - lever heights, shock sag, seat height. I'm sure some people dream of live-in chefs, masseuses, and maids, but I would kill for a live-in mechanic.

This is an easy week with some trainer rides and easy swims. John comes in town for some sweet riding this weekend and then my season officially kicks off on Monday. I can't wait!

Update:
Sunday - 1.5 mile warmup + 13.1 1/2 marathon
Monday - 8 mile MTB
Tuesday - 1200m swim / 20 min trainer ride

1:51:25

Mission accomplished. A sub 2:00 1/2 marathon. This race with A was a blast. We had an early morning, but then just a short drive up the road to the new light rail station and rode the rail all the way to downtown Phoenix. We did have to take a mid-ride break so A could use the bathroom prior to the port-a-potty lines. Good thing cause she never would have made it waiting in those lines.
One we arrived downtown we had a nice 1 mile run to the start line that was a good warm-up. When the gun went off we quickly found our stride and space to run and shed layers at mile 2. Highs in the upper 70's today. Home to ice-bath in the pool and them some Filibertos. Full report later after the Cardinals game. What a day already!

breakfast

post race pictures at home

done

that's a cold pool

yes