California here I come again!

Wildflower is right around the corner. I can’t wait to get to CA and see some friends and race such a hard course. A big thanks for my great friend Laura Miller and her folks over at Tri-Cal for their support and the hook-up on the Race Entry. I have to cross that finish line now.

With that crossing the line in mind, this past weekend was very busy. I had a long ride planned for Saturday, but working at BV cut into that. Sunday was going to be a nice fun 5mile road race followed by a short day at BV. When I woke, I felt bad about not getting in the long ride so I chose to ride the trainer for about 2 hours prior to the run. Since I live close to Cherry Creek, I ran 3 miles to the start of the race. Just as Coach and I had talked about on Friday. A 25 minute warm-up getting to the cattle corralled runners with about 3 minutes prior to the start. The race was starting good, but around mile three when I tried to pick up the pace and sit in cruise control, I realized that I should have eaten more food before the ride and run. The tempature hovered around 75 for the run and it felt like that too. My sun burn can prove it too :). After the run I hung out for about 10 minutes taking in some water and a small stretch to get a cramp out of my calf. Then it was a light 3 mile run home and off to BV to work on a few bike fits and everything else under the sun needed by customers.

The poor showing at Cherry Creek Sneak put me in sour mood, but I have to realize it’s not a race, but more a training day. I did learn from it. I know that I needed more fuel in my tank prior to ever starting anything that day.

I’m stoked to go to Wildflower with Erin whom I met at Team Timex, and Tim Hola who I’ve known a couple years now from PowerBar. Two great people and super athletes whom embody all that the sport is.

Time for bed now, as I had a good swim today and a nice 1.5 hour bike ride while watching “Hero’s”. Tomorrow is the last Basketball game of the season for us at AMG and then it’s home for more packing to make sure I don’t forget anything.

Yet another trip to San Diego!

This entry is not a repeat. I’m writing from CA again. Yes I did return to Colorado on Sunday the 15th of April. I just returned to California yesterday. I am in town for yet another FJ Trail Team event. This time we’re activating during the 24 hours of Granny Gear Mountain Bike race at Vail Lake. About 1 hour north of San Diego.

I was been able to get a nice run in today and some free weights at least, with a free pass from the hotel to Gold’s Gym. Tomorrow will be a long swim at 24 hour fitness and then afternoon set up for the crews at the expo site.

I am way overdue for photos for ya'll. So please enjoy some event images from Sea Otter and the FJ Trail Teams. On a side note, as many of you know, I love to eat and I tend to eat pretty much anything. While here I found a new cookie. It’s from Chips Ahoy and it is a ‘Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip’. Out of this world! If you come across a bag, I recommend you try them.

I hope everyone has a great rest of the week and keep updated on this as more entries will follow as Wildflower is around the corner and then Ironman Coeur D’Alene.

Sea Otter Bike Classic and Sea Level Training

Well I’m on a plane again headed to San Jose, California for yet another FJ Trail Team event. Who will be at the Sea Otter Bicycle Classic in picturesque Monterey.. Sea Otter is the biggest and best bike event start the season. 60,000 people over 4 days will attend, race, catch up over last years stories and hopefully test drive the FJ Cruiser.

This past weeks training went well. I was on schedule for all that was asked of me by Shawn and Peter. The bike rides where indoors due to the ever changing weather of Colorado. Have to love that fact that it is April and we’ve seen more snow this month then all of March. With the new friends I made at the Team Timex camp from shoot, I’ve found that the tri community is very small and six degrees of separation are more like two or three.

At camp I became friend with a few of the Colorado natives and have gone a few training runs with Erin Kummer who is a great athlete and person to be around. She’s full of energy and has a great view on the sport. Well grounded and she loves the challenge of the race and training. This past Saturday she invited me out to Boulder for a Trainer Ride (cold and icy outside) at her coach and friends house Joanna Zeiger. That’s right “THE” Joanna Zeiger. I have know the Zeige’s for a year working on PowerBar and think the world of them so I couldn’t say no at the chance to see Mark and Joanna again while doing a training ride in her basement. It was a good time and memory lane was well visited along with a different view of how great Mark and Jo are. After the ride we went to dinner with a few of their friends and talked Tri, movies and the crazy weather. Good times had by all.

The next day I had a long run 90 minutes worth and I was crossing my finger during the night that the snow would stop so I could run outside. I awoke to what seemed like a movie set. Large snowflakes where falling and sticking to tree limbs and the ground, and accumulating fast. Erin called me see what the conditions where like in D-town(Denver) as she made mention that Boulder had overcast skies and semi mild temps. So why not do a long run with a cute girl in Boulder. So I made the Easter trek to Boulder and he headed out for a now 120 min run. 20 minutes into it life was great. No wind and no snow, until Erin asked me why I wasn’t or didn’t wear sunglasses or eyewear. I said “it’s overcast and not snowing”. Right then and there I jynked myself, as the snow started to fall ever so gently from the clouds. As our run time increased so did the intensity of the snow. It was very calming and relaxing actually, yet annoying at the same time without glasses to keep the flakes from getting into my eyes. The last two/thirds of my run I felt like a battering-ram running with my head down to cut the wind and keep my eyes shielded from the falling snow.

We finished the run in good spirits but hungry for food and Eater Eggs. No, we didn’t see any hidden eggs on the run, but I was looking for some, as they should have been easy to spot, all bight and painted in the white snow. Oh well there is always next year.

Overall the week and weekend of training was a blast, hanging out with good people and training with people that get what I’m doing as they are in the same boat but at a much faster pace. During the long run my side stitch in the lower right groin area flared up a little and forced me to Jeff Galloway the last 3 miles or so. More news on the cause of the side pain in the next entry once the doctor has had time to exam the images from the ultrasound.

Well folks I hope that you’re well and Spring is actually visiting you, as I know I have to try and find it in CA again since she only teased us in Colorado. Until you read again. Cheers.

Ignite the filre...Race Season has Started...

Well folks it official now. The start of the race season is upon us. I was just in Oceanside, CA for the 70.3 race (half Ironman race) shooting for Timex. I must say that it got the blood flowing and made me very excited for my half Ironman at Wildflower which is 4 weeks away followed by my Ironman in June.

The determination and drive for the people on the course was great. The fans showed up in full force with their hands clapping and vocal cords turned up high. The race had a definite chill in the air before it started, with temps in the high 40’s to low 50’s. It was a great sight when the sun broke over the roof tops.

It was a great race overall and being able to see friends in the community I know and love so much was an added bonus.

Once the race was completed, I hoped in a truck with a few friends from Timex and joined the rest of the New Timex Team at their camp to shoot all their photography for weekend. The trip was great with a ton of laughs, talking race strategies with the various athletes and friends who will be doing their first Ironman too. That being Keith Myers of Timex. He and his wife are doing Lake Placid. GO Keith!

During the Timex Camp we shot product images as well as some images for their new Bike Sponsor, Trek who is showcasing the new TTX Equinox. What a great bike that is. Sunday morning with the marine fog overhead Treks photographer took four riders out and I jumped in the fan too. Doing some crazy riding images that gave me new insight as to how some things are done on a photo shoot. It was awesome. Nothing like sticking half my body out of a mini fan doing 30mph with a two thousand dollar camera to get close up images.

While here I had the opportunity to do some training, so not to get out of shape for my races. Thanks to the folks at Timex and Team Sports for their flexibility and opportunity to help them out.

Now it is back to the great home of Colorado and the running trails of Boulder!