Ironman past and future........lifestyle

soooo TRUE!

2012-01-23T16:29:00.001-08:00

no snow so what ya gonna do? ride

2012-01-16T15:56:00.001-08:00

2012-01-09T18:40:00.001-08:00

WINTER time is on us

2011-11-18T06:23:00.000-08:00

Well not a great documented cyclocross season so lets see if I can do it in a short paragraph.

As I upgraded to Master B category I found myself move from the back of the pack to the middle to the front with a great finish of 7th at the Orchard race I won last year.....success!

I also found that tubeless cyclocross do not love me and I have switched back to my regular clincher setup for the final race this weekend. It did snow at the house today so ski season is upon us.

The best part is that Cyclocross is fun, the fitness was there and time with friends rocked!

One more race and then off to skiing and planning next adventure.......maybe a 24 hour race or creampuff revisited...????????? hmmmmmm?

It was fun

2011-11-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

ARE YOU READY FOR CROSS CRUSADE HALLOWEEN??????

2011-10-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

jennelle rock the race series

2011-10-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

Great race....

2011-10-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

The start of the Season has really started when you get a Cross Crusade race under your belt. over 1000 racers there and a full weekend of fun. From getting Ron to race his frost cross race ever to "Not" getting Glenned. In the end it was about taking a risk. the risk to upgrade to the B category. I have had a ton of people ask me why I moved up as I was not forced and not winning the C races ( well, I won one of them) and the answer was to take a risk. I am really racing myself and my weakness for short races. In years to come nobody will care how I placed...( or a day after the race in truth) so I am making the challenge harder and pushing myself. I ended up Middle of the pack ( MOP ) for most of the race, stopped to check a flat that was not a flat that lost me about 15 places. The last lap I faded for sure. I need to work on a strong start and a strong finish not a taper...

end result for Alpenrose: 97th out of 135....need to move up about 20 spots!!

Photo from bikeportland.org

can you find me?

off to Alpenrose....note to self " go over barriers"

2011-10-01T06:49:00.001-07:00

Bend racing

2011-09-30T17:50:00.001-07:00

The future

2011-09-23T15:57:00.001-07:00

time stop celebrating and start working

2011-09-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

ok a few races under the belt.....fitness and weight at the right place.......time to start WORKING!

By adding the Tuesday night CX clinic that has assisted in mid week workouts. I have reduce the Kyle workouts to one day a week as well. Life at work has changed recently to 12 hour days so sleep has been fitfull. I must admit the active lifestyle and cyclocross really helps in the work/life balance.

season opener

2011-09-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

In short here is how the first three races went for the Cyclocross season

Thrilla on Thursday: wide corner first lap....into the soft dirt, breathed in lots of dust

Saturday at Hood double cross: bent chainring...DNF after crash

Sunday: kicked it into gear and almost mid pack after upgraded to harder group...NICE!!!!

IMGP8370

2011-09-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

CYCLOCROSS 2011

2011-09-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

I start the cyclocross season tonight. I am moving up to the Masters B Category. looking for MOP results this season ( middle of the pack) . The start of the season has been solid. Coming off of the Creampuff and results of training and finishing the 100 mile race and then converting this into a 45 minute sprint....arggg. However I have had some great training sessions and time on the cx bike so looking forward.....will post pics and results as they happen. Tonight is the thrilla and then this weekend in doublecross!

Waldo Lake and Mt. Fuji

2011-09-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

Crater Lake

2011-08-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

NEXT!

2011-08-03T05:35:00.000-07:00

now that the PUFF is over and I am enjoying the summer whats next? Well pre-season cyclocross starts next month with our local series put on by my team at Webcyclery.com. So only three weeks to cyclocross can you believe it? I am enjoying the summer mixing it up with some crossfit workouts and enjoying my new ( new to me) mountain bike by NINER. here are a few pics of the summer and upcoming is a ride around the rim at Crater lake and August session of Mountain bike Oregon.

Mountain Bike Oregon 3 days of guideing and fun in Oakridge

2011-07-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

Cascade Creampuff 100

2011-07-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

Arrived Friday night inking we needed to grab primo camping but ended up not being an issue this year. camped with Utek as support team and Chuck and Marsha. Saturday was a rest day before the race so Utrek and Marsha got a ride day and Kratsch and Brice and Jill came down to join them. They ended up riding a huge ride with a guy that joined them in the paring lot. The fact that they realized he had a county jail monitor ankle bracelet on was another story.

Race Day:

got up at 4 am and sunscreened up in the dark. Riding the new ( new to me) Jet from NINER. all is set and lined up for the 5 am start. This year went light weight and only brought a single water bottle and a few gummy bears as the aid stations really rock. Neutral start to the road and I stayed up front as last year i was in the back. when we started up the first big climb I grab a wheel of a faster group and hammered the first lap. A Chuck watched me take off he wondered what the hell iwas doing ( and so was I) but it ended up working out or me and really gained me some time early on. downhill on the first lap was fast and furious and I did not even realize I was in front of Chuck until I completed first 33 mile loop ( 6100 feet of climbing).

I was able to middle ring the whole first lap but second lap up needed the granny here and there. feeling great but after about mile 50 the gas tank was just not filligback up even though I was eating. got to the bottom of the third lap and thought I was done. I was doing the mat to see if I could finish as was not sure about the cut off times. I was ready o ask Utrek about the race times and when I got there he said I was MOP ( middle of pack) . We took off and Igot up for the third lap up to Windy pass ad was ll little ring all of the time. Utrek rode with me and talked me up.....I was WIPED! pedal stroke was fast but energy was low. Utrek peeled off at windy pass and I headed up the rest still really tired.

As I started down for the final Alpine I thought the cut off back to Windy was 5:30 so I was going as fast as I could with limited energy. I got to final aid 2 at 5:15 just making the cutoff........( come to find later the cutoff was 6:30 not 5:30 so I was way ahead of schedule)

Best aid station ever...Aid 2....I asked if they had something salty and pretzels sounds bad. he asked me " how about some bacon?" best bacon i ever had and only time an aid station has ever offered me bacon...it was supreme. then said that coffee would go nice with that and he got that for me as well. I mean we are in the middle of nowhere and this guy is making miracles happen with bacon and coffee for me.

final stretch down I knew I had made the cut off and would finish so took it a little easier and even walked up a few little hills. Here comes Chuck passing me and looking fresh. he had burned his candles more evenly over the day... He finisihed like 18 minutes ahead of me.

finish time just under 13 hours.......after a DNF last year felt like a real accomplishment. Support from Marsha and especially from Utrek made the race. great training rides before with Steph and Kevin and Kratsch.....finisher hat in the trophy case.

Now wfats next????? HMMMMMM?

first pic is me half a through race a little tired, second is the course with elevation profile, we did three laps

Cascade creampuff 100 in the bag

2011-07-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

details coming but in short............." i did it"......finish time after 100 miles and 18,300 feet of climbing? well how about 12:50:13.00

training......NOT!

2011-07-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

Went out and rode a 12 person bike for 2 hours for Utreks birthday.....should be considered 2 hours of pedal time which is good for training....unless you also drink beer and have cheese and crackers so not really good for training. But very fun.

Good bye dear friend we had many good rides

2011-06-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

triathlon video of the spawn

2011-06-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

Father day weekend of pancakes and training with new green secret weapon

2011-06-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

Creampuff train morning with Chuck by drewhbend123 at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-06-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Creampuff train morning with Chuck by drewhbend123 at Garmin Connect - Details

mobile version and flipped bike bag

2011-06-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

realized I could optimize the page for mobile so if you look at this site on a mobile device it should be better.

Also realized if you flip a Revelate Tangele bag it fits nice in the full suspension ride.

Creampuff train Heckletooth climb

2011-06-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

Creampuff train Heckletooth climb at Garmin Connect - Details

Oakridge fun with Kevin

2011-06-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

All in one day?????? YEP

2011-06-03T06:40:00.001-07:00

memorial day weekend

2011-06-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

Training real world

2011-05-22T07:09:00.000-07:00

Friday night trained on the actual race course for the creampuff. Utrek and I rode up to Aid station 2 at Windy Pass and found snow as Chuck had predicted. We hiked, rode, and got through 1.5 miles of snow on the trail. The trail was wet and slick at places. pretty demanding run, kept heart rate at about 165 up the climb with Utrek pacing me. time to aid 2 was 1 hour 17 minutes, would like to get that closer to 1 hour. Camped overnight and started next workout the next morning climbing up to heckletooth. We actually took a wrong turn at the top but had some beta on a bushwack location to find the trail. the shortcut will be called " Eugene's girlfriends shortcut". With the trail and brownie for energy we hit the summit and descended through some heinous terrain. trail condition were great once we got past the steep switchbacks.

Two days of solid training.....

creampuff training on heckletooth by drewhbend123 at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-05-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

creampuff training on heckletooth by drewhbend123 at Garmin Connect - Details

creampuff training on course by drewhbend123 at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-05-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

creampuff training on course by drewhbend123 at Garmin Connect - Details

New bikepacking gear

2011-05-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

While I love my Bob trailer and camping pulling all the fin stuff and the kitchen sink I am inspired by the Tour Divide racers that start in a month. They ride from Canada to Mexico unsupported and carry light gear. While I am doing a 100 mile mountain bike race in 55 days, these guys almost do that daily for a month!!!! They ride and camp carrying their gear and I found some awesome gear made in this cottage industry by REVELATE . So after a decent wait which was not a problem as we had quite the winter here My gear came this last weekend. I found the cost reasonable for such custom gear and the quality is high. I plan to put it through its paces with an overnight or two in the next week. Notice that the front carry's a sleeping bag and in the back seatpack I have a full size Bibler bivy sac and it still has half the space left.

Early review thoughts......very pleased. will post again after some real world use.

2011-05-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

loser move

2011-05-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

So I decided to do a double day and rode my bike down to the studio to work out at Willrace performance. I threw on the Mountain gear and attached the running shoes on the back of the oh so sweet wingnut pack. Hit the workout no worries, got my ass kicked and then headed over to Utreks for a 2 hour ride. Utrek says to me " leave the shoes here or they are going to fall off your pack", I of course reply " no they are fine they will stay on there"..........after a great 2 hour ride and a 1 hour workout I am tired and as we roll back towards his house I ask " the shoes are still back there right?"......wait for it...........nope.

I turned around and rode the trail back, Phils, up the canyon, found one shoe. ask people on the trail if the found the other shoe and they think I am picking up pieces from a cougar attack. up the road to cross over, down Woody and back over to KGB....no second shoe.

Smith Rock ride

2011-05-06T07:44:00.001-07:00

T minus 69 days until the creampuff 100 race

2011-05-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

The training for the creampuff is coming along. last year I spent time doing long 50-60 miles every Sat. and Sun and a mid week ride and the normal training at kyles twice a week. This year I am trying to focus more on hills. It does not seem to be the distance that gets me but the amount of climbing. By focusing on my weakness I hope this year is a good finish. Here are the training days from this weekend which shows elevation gain for the two days at 4471 feet of climbing on trails.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/82998667

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/82998650

RIDE!!!!!!!

2011-05-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

Somebody must have ran into the garage....see that all the time!

Bend Video

2011-04-23T06:18:00.001-07:00

So the video of the commercial for Bend below was taken last year and just came out. If you watch it the last scene with the " family" riding past the tree on the single tack is actually Steph and Ryder and Jennelle and I. We are playing the part of the classic family with 1 boy and 1 girl. It was actually shot about 2 minutes from our house at 5:45 am. we got there in the dark and he set up a boom camera on the trail and when the sun cam up at 6 we did the shot about four times. It looks so inviting but it was like 20 degrees out. so cold!!!!!!!! the end product for Bend was great though.

Oregon Video - Visit Bend's Set Them Free 2011 TV Commercial

2011-04-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

oakridge

2011-04-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

Since the trail fr the creampuff is in Oakridge Oregon trying to set a training weekend there for next week. Always makes sense to train on the course if you can.....also the picture explains why you would want to ride there....

game time

2011-04-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

So training has shifted from a ski winter with heavy weights to more bike. The triathlon was a great race to come out of the winter for. As I am working with less trails now due to heavy snowpack the choices are fewer but as we are in Bend Oregon the poor choices are still better than most towns so no complaining. Hit Peterson ridge in Sisters last weekend followed up by a sweet road ride on a work lunchbreak of 20 miles in a little over an hour with Steph. good route with hills. i forgot my GPS watch so will map it next week.

we are now T-minus 81 days until the crampuff race......

off to the gym for my twice weekly Metcon with Caitlin

I will get the posts up a little more often as well :)

2011 beaver Freezer

2011-04-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

You can't take the cyclocrosser out of the new triathlete

my Beaver Freezer Sprint Triathlon - Road bike triathlon results

TOP 10 BABY!!!!!!

Bike training by pulling camping gear over Spring break

2011-03-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

good feedback on Swim

2011-03-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

Comment from Brett on last vid:

First off, the fact that you're doing flip turns makes me feel like I've snorted unicorn dust. YES!

Now, here's what I see:

1. Your lower half isn't in the video, so we can't tell if your legs are high enough. Gotta shoot and share it again.

2. You're swimming too stiffly, thinking about form too much. Relax and FLOW. (and speed it up)

3. You're looking down too far. Look a little more forward. All this "Total Immersion" stuff is, in Brett Sutton's words - "A bunch of shit." He's the world's best swimming and tri coach, so he knows what he's saying.

4. Reduce the amount you think about executing somebody else's idea of perfect form and focus on the most power delivery per amount of oxygen you can suck down. Swim at a faster clip and keep experimenting with the ratio of force to breathing until you nail it.

5. Send all your money to Coach Brett in Texas. ;) Thank you.

train your weakness

2011-03-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

I never really learned to swim until I was in my thirties. Yes I played in a pool growing up and had time in the family sailboat and got my lifesaving merit badge as a child in boy scouts. The problem was I never learned how to swim efficiently from one side of the pool to the other. I could cannonball or make my pants inflate into a life jacket but swim a straight 100 meters? nope. When I decided to to start doing triathlon in 2005 I hired a swim coach and had underwater video analysis which watching it recently is pretty funny. Now my 9 year old can tell me my swim mistakes using her swim team experience.

so here is a video Stephanie took of me this week so I will invite comments for constructive criticism form some key people I know and post their responses after they review it

Untitled from Drew Holmes on Vimeo.

Lucky Seven

2011-03-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a back issue and seems to be getting better.....with 16 days until the Beaver Freezer triathlon I sure hope things continue to improve. One aspect was I had a great workout with Caitlin yesterday and we did Lucky Seven and felt awesome.....Warm up on the bike and then do 1 minute bike and then do number 1 for 7 reps and then 1 minute on the bike and then do number 1 and then number 2 for 7 reps each time.....adding an exercise each round.....get it?

pushups
pullups
scissor with OH weight
tricep dips
box jumps
kettlebell heavy
burpee with pushups
squat with Overhead press ( 45 pound bar )
bicycles
heavy squat

Whole workout took 40 minutes.....try it out!

16 days.......

looking forward to 2011

2011-03-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

2010 creampuff from Drew Holmes on Vimeo.

This week Food

2011-03-11T07:14:00.001-08:00

So I started a new nutrition plan on December 27th last year and now a little over 60 days+ in I went from 183 pounds to 172. dropped about 4% in body fat. same workouts but better nutrition. The source of the nutrition idea started from reading The four hour body by internet guy Tim Ferris. The book was just ok, seemed like a bunch of stuff that I already knew or read elsewhere and he cut and pasted it into an interesting package but as a whole it was a book to get at the library not buy. Spent more time looking back into the Paleo diet and have been pretty strict with that for the last 60 days and Saturday is a free for all cheat day where I eat whatever I want. I suggest this book as the real book to read: Paleo Solution by Rob Wolfe. He also has a podcast.

so here was dinner last night in the photo and I will chart the week and catch up in 5 days for a review.

more to come, getting back in the groove for 2011

I am Back!!!

2011-03-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

Ok so took a hiatus...

on the plan now...

Beaver Freezer triathlon in 3 weeks

Cascade Cream Puff 100 mile mountain bike race

and then start training for Cyclocross season.....

interested? come along for the ride

2010

2010-07-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

getting ready to race the Cascade creampuff 100 mile bike race in 1 week. check out the race here:

anyone needs to check in with me email me at drewhbend at gmail.com

taking a break

2009-07-14T05:16:00.000-07:00

I will be taking a break from the blog until cyclocross season starts and thinking about starting another blog or website for adventures as this one is really about Ironman and my next Ironman will likely be in about 2-3 years. right now focusing on overall fitness, cyclocross racing and doing some super lightweight backpacking. here are some shots to hold you over until I return.

2 weeks post Ironman

2009-07-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

I must say this has been the best post Ironman ever. i took the day after the race for lots of beer and rest. then the next day we drove home and when i got home I had more beer. Day three I went for a 90 minute easy spin with Bruce and felt pretty decent. By the weekend I was A+ and went on a full day mountain biking excursion on the McKenzie river trail. I just could not believe that in 1 week I was back 100%. Since Ironman in the first 14 days I have been on two mountain biking excursions, hit the gym for two hard weight training sessions at Kyles studio and feel 100%. I think the added weight training at intensity really helped. so plans now???

Well I sold my TT bike as I will likely hold off on longer triathlons for a few years ( though I will be back to Ironman in a few years. right now working on overall fitness and trying to get into a variety of stuff. Cyclocross is around the corner and rock climbing this fall will be nice. paddling some...ohhhhhh fun!!! Thanks for joining me on the journey.

the story of the day Ironman CDA 2009

2009-06-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Let me foreshadow this by saying 3 weeks before the race I sprained my ankle pretty bad on a trail run. 1 week before the race I was in bed sick. 2 days before the race we drove the course in rain showers’ previewing slick downhill’s and twisty wet roads. Other than that it looked like it was going to be a good day.

The house is up at 5 am ready to roll, this race is nice since I have two other racers staying with Frank and Cara Both first timers. The weather seems ok but the first thing I notice is the tree blowing in the neighbors yard. We walk down to the race venue to get checked in and drop our entire bike and run gear and find the crowds pretty big and all of the racers are there. The crowds were more stretched out for the other events over the last three days and race morning you can barely move in the slowly moving sidewalk of people. Somewhat of a cluster as they have bag drops on one end of the park and body marking on the other end. Time is getting short and we keep fighting the crowd. I get my bags dropped and into my wetsuit and when I get to the beach I realize I never got a body marking which is your race number written on your arm and leg and somewhat 100% required. Damn! I go back to the bags and ask where body marking was again and she pints to the other end of the park which is a bit far with 10 minutes to go. She then realizes she has a marker in her tool kit and larks me up. Second time into the wesuit now and a quick much needed last minute stop in a porta potty ( a favorite last minute thing to do for many a racer) and over the timing mat onto the beach.

SWIM: I am in the back of a sea of white and red swim caps looking at some very choppy water. I really do not have time to think about it since I hear the Ozzy song ironman and then a cannon and we are off. By about the second buoy I realize this is not the calm clear water of Penticton (Ironman Canada 2007). I have to time my breaths with the swells and find I cannot draft off anybody with any form as the visibility is low and murky. The course is a two loop 2.4 mile swim that as you round the outer buoys the chop is really high and making the turn you have to almost swim sideways to keep from being blown off course. I must say that this feels more like having just left a capsized ship in the ocean than doing a swim race. At lap 1 you get out of the water and go around a timing mat and back in the water……ohhhh I did not want another lap of that but the race goes on and back into the water I went for another 1.2 miles of sea survival training. I actually get hit in the head by someone and lose my goggles but they are under my swim cap so I just flip them back down over my eyes no harm. At one pint on the last 1.4 mile I get hit by a rogue wave and swallow some water and have to hack it up and a lifeguard on a surfboard checks in with me. I tell them I al all right and after getting y breath finishing the swim . Oh the feel of ground never felt so good.

I get my wetsuit stripped off by two guys in the wetsuit stripper zone and remind them to be careful of the left ankle and they gingerly remove the wetsuit without being the usual over exuberant wetsuit stripers that I have seen where the rip the thing off your body in 4 seconds.

BIKE: I change into my cycling gear and out to the bike. Nice to get on the bike after that. As usual I am in the back of the pack not being a great swimmer and have the opportunity to pass many people over the next few hours. It feels good mentally passing so many people. The weather is not bad, and the temperature is nice . The bike is fast and I am cruising with no worries…..until about mile 50 then my neck starts getting sore and the fit on the bike is not quite right. It’s a borrowed bike and I never rode it for more than 45 minutes at a time before. So this mistake ultimately makes me ride in a not so Aero position for the next 60 miles. Not a huge deal as I was still going fast and passing folks but not as fast as I would have liked. Alsi the course is very hilly gaining about 6000 feet and not as TT friendly as I would have liked, but oh well, get lots of food in on the bike and feel good in the legs so jam out 112 miles and on to the run…

RUN: so the run was my main concern as I had sprained my ankle about 3 weeks ago so I taped it up again for the run and as it started to get a bit overcast I took a windbreaker and tied it around my waist. Not something I would normally but with the weather the last few days and a full marathon in front of me comfort was a need. The first 10 miles were not bad and then the weather hit and the rain and wind was just biting at us along the shoreline as we ran. The great warm chicken broth hit again as the best tasting stuff on the planet at the time. My stomach fared fine and never really felt super thirsty or super hungry so just snacked to keep the energy going. By mile 17 we were wet. They started handing out space blankets and garbage bags. I took a space blanket and shoved it up into the front of my jacket and used it as insulation and I was just fine. I would have liked a beanie cap but the baseball cap style running cap would have to do. I spent a bout 5 miles with “Jim” from southern Cali who was getting lots of yells from the crowd as he had on an NBC kit and I later found out he did corporate travel and NBC was ne of his clients and raced for them. Nice guy and we matched each other running and walking to keep each other going. I had to bow out at about mile 21 or so to use the bathroom and he was off. The usual mental game of running to the next light post or street sign in little chunks started but it was just starting to get dark and I only had about 4 miles to go so it was in the bag, I jystr had to keep moving. With 2 miles to go I decided it was run all the way and ran (well more like a weak jog) to the finish line and heard the “ YOU ARE AN IRONMAN” over the speaker again as I crossed into finisher arch……..happy to be done and happy to have done it. Lets see??? Ironman number 3???? Maybe 2011?

DREW HOLMES>>>>>YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!!!

2009-06-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Before and after in the bike corral

I will do a full story upon my return home but here is the short one!

Swells in the water during the swim reminded me that I do not want to be shipwrecked. The bike was hilly and fast and the run was done in rainy and windy conditions that were brutal. Even though this race felt twice as hard as Canada in 2007 I finished within 30 minutes of that time at 14 hours and 30 minutes.

Thanks for all the support from online, phone calls, locals and friends and family. It was a team effort.

also congrats to Frank and Cara who also got it done!!!!

on site!!!

2009-06-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

found an internet coffee shop to update the blog. What a great locaton here in Idaho. yesterday was super perfect and today...RAIN!!! looks like a 70% chance of rain. the temp is ok so just have to stay dry. good thing I train in wet weather. I wil have to slow the bike down for safety in places after driving the bike course today. pretty flat but the back 9 has a few hills and rollers that look slickery. So new goal ( old goal was to beat Canada by an hour) is to finish in one piece with a smile.

We went to the kids race last night and Jennelle did great! she was upset that she did not get to do the 1 mile course with the 8-12 year olds and got stuck doing the half mile course with the 7 and unders but she managed to control the anger :)

Cara and Frank and I all went for a 15-20 minute swim on the course and then a 20 minute run all at easy pace......now just rest until start time on Sunday at 7 am. not much else to say other than I hope the temp stays right where it is but the rain goes away but the forecast is not pretty....adapt and adapt some more.

on the road again!!!

2009-06-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

ok, all packed up and off to the races....not sure if I will have internet when I get there so think happy thoughts on Sunday and I will post race after!

"Here we go again on my own..." WHITESNAKE

last long ride

2009-06-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

did a super easy mellow 90 minutes of spin today mixed in with bike commute to work pulling the old Bob trailer with the Kratsch bag,,,,,,,,,,LOVE IT!

by the way...BOB TRAILER IS THE BEST COMPANY EVER!!!!!! seriously.

5 day countdown

2009-06-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

Well this is the boring part before the race....rest, travel and rest.

I will take photos when we get on site......we will be there with the crew on Thursday night.

thanks for all the well wishes!

half marathon sweep

2009-06-13T06:29:00.000-07:00

I will be doing an easy run today and then doing the sweep for the dirty half marathon on the bike on Sunday. easy easy as we come to race day

I got my ass kicked by a girl and I liked it

2009-06-10T20:40:00.001-07:00

Stacey showed up for my final training session before ironman and she kicked my ass! She mixed in some heavy weights to failure that ended after an hour with heavy squats. When I was done I was a little light headed and spent. She asks me " are you seeing stars?" and I thought...wow that's odd how does she know I am seeing stars?....cuz I was. She suggested I take a seat and drink some sugar in some Gatorade.......I almost passed out. It was the best workout of the week!!!!!!

I tell you after spending 30 minutes doing cardio and plyometrics and then ending with a super heavy no rest weight routine I was done in such a good way.

The rest day is Thursday and then Friday: swim and mile repeats, Sat super easy run and Sunday super easy bike, then T minus 7 days.

12 days of ironman.......12 to go

2009-06-09T21:29:00.001-07:00

ohhh rest days!!! T minus 15 days

2009-06-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

a few rest days are killer, I rode the single speed to the pool and did a very leisurely 1000 meters and rode home. laid by the local pool here reading runners world and then BBQ some chicken breasts:

easy: marinate 1.5 pounds of chicken in........1/3 cup soy sauce and tbs. of lime juice, 3 tbs of olive oil, some thyme and salt and pepper......marinade for 1-5 hours...BBQ.

less hard workouts are easy to do but you always feel like you should go harder, in your mind you feel fitness seeping away but it is building and making the machine fresh and rested and ready. Thankfully I felt this last time and it worked out great.

2 hour road ride tomorrow....easy. followed but an easy run. MR. IPOD here I come, slow and steady and ready to eat the little fish.

Denis Menchov wins Giro Italia from Universal Sports

2009-06-05T14:16:00.001-07:00

road bike crashes are always bad!!!!! I love the announcers here going berserk!!!!!!!

Open water swim

2009-06-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I was able to go out and meet with Utrek and get in some open water swimming in Davis lake, Utrek was fly fishing so he took me out in the boat and watched to make sure i did not drown. What a great place to swim and the water temp was just right. Felt really good to get back in the wetsuit. What a great place to swim huh?

Ankle is still there for sure but i have been able to perform on it so ultimately i think the race is a go but i am being careful. no more trail runs or mountain biking for the next 16 days.....16 days until he race???? this is coming fast now.

Where is Waldo?

2009-06-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

I like this pic from the Central Oregon Crossfit competition as it shows all these beefy dudes competing and then there is me in the background thinking..." How did i end up in a race with these guys????" of course as you read below I did just fine and Kyle trained me well. The crossfit way has many merits and Kyle actually does a lot of the same things and had years before there was crossfit but there is a nice balance of endurance work which is what I need for my particular sport. so see if you can find me in the pic thinking....." this may be harder than I thought..."

I must say it was a nice group and everyone encouraged each other...good folks

PODIUM!

2009-06-01T04:57:00.000-07:00

what a crazy week its been. a week ago i could not even walk.....so I spend the week with ice and wraps and calling Dr. frank every other day. the foot even turned black and blue on day three. I was very worried about my running at Ironman. I had the crossfit Oregon games the following week and I was pretty sure it would not happen. The foot got better over the week and with Dr. Franks permission ( good to have a foot surgeon as a buddy in this story) i tried to run easy on a treadmill on Friday.....I could tell I was still guarding the foot and running was ok but not super solid. So i decided I would go do the crossfit games and during the running I would just take it easy as this was meant to be fun side event not a key part of my ironman training. I showed up early in the old mill district and saw the course.....HOLY CRAP I HAVE TO LIFT WHAT OVER MY HEAD AND RUN???? I was signed up for the elite division by accident and realized they wanted me to lift 70 pound kettle bell over my head...? what? with a sprained ankle as well??? so i wandered back to the registration and explained i needed to be in the intermediate division ....this way I only had to carry a 53 pound kettle bell over my head and walk 100 meters....ohhh much easier.

So I am not in Kansas anymore as i recognize nobody from other races or runs or triathlons etc. these are hardened crossift guys and gals that look riped and much larger than my endurance buddies........oh this is going to hurt.

warmed up a bit and the ankle is ok, I can still tell its affected but no pain just really have to pay attention to landing when running. I start in heat 7 and do a 500 meter row as fast as I can. This was good as I actually have one of these rowers at home so I understood long powerful smooth was just as fast as this guy next to me cranking out as hard as he can and working twice as much for the same distance. i am second off the rower and running over the foot bridge to the kettlebells. I grab two and put one over my head and hold one below for the waiters walk.....man this is heavy and about 15 meters in i hear a volunteer tell someone else you raise the lighter of the two above your head.....OHHHHHH!!!! i had the heavy one up. switched them and off I went. back down to the other side switched arms and took off for a 3/4 mile run......wow this is harder than I thought. my run is slower than normal but I am catching a few guys. the next station was insane! we had to snatch a barbell with 45 pound plates and then throw it and keep doing that for the length of the field and then roll it back to the start....just throwing Olympic barbells in a park was fun/hard/different. run some more to a filed and do burpee long jumps and then run to finish......sounds so short and easy but ooooohhhhhhh so hard.

I was out front and a younger kid about 23 passed me and was about 10 meters in front of me on the final run and in the last 200 feet he was fading and i was gaining on him....I started taunting him..." I am coming to get you"...." you better pick it up"...."I got you at the line".....he starts looking back and stepping up.....he crossed the finish line one second before me.

I went over to talk to him after the race ( he was on the ground trying to breathe again sweating like a criminal in an interrogation room) and I said good race and he said i would have taken him if i would not have let him know I was gaining on him. I explained no that is part of the fun of the race...by pushing him I was pushing me and I like a hard fair race. gave me a rabbit to chase.

so then I had to leave as I had other commitments and just this morning I found out I got third place!!!! Holy crap! that is awesome. I am back baby! 4-6 weeks for an ankle? 1 week later I am on the podium....WOW!

side story: on the way back to the car there was a national guard recruiting station and they had 2 pull up bars set up. I jokingly said I wonder how many pullups I could do after getting my ass kicked in the event and a soldier says " lets see......jump on" I cranked out 13 full bar to chest pullups. DAMN i was having a good day.

1 581 Michael Thille B M 17:53

2 577 Jon Hill B M 18:08

3 537 Drew Holm B M 18:09

photos from Eugene crossfit

Braveheart FREEDOM

2009-05-31T18:56:00.001-07:00

This is for the cannondale rep...you had to be there........

jennelle is a poster child

2009-05-31T05:56:00.000-07:00

One of my new favorite products ever ( one of those...Why didn't I think of that??? things ) Action wipes which we have been using for commuting, racing, camping and an UH OH moment on the way to a race......good stuff and now i can say Jennelle is a poster child.

ankle doing better...

2009-05-30T18:54:00.001-07:00

The ankle is doing better but the full report will be in a day or two. That tape rocks, costs a lot but well worth it. but before i tell the ankle test story here are some random pics from the last few weeks. stay tuned.......

plans for tonight

2009-05-28T16:23:00.001-07:00

found the tape at Rebound here in town so going to tape up and try and swim freestyle manana and try easy run

getting better

2009-05-27T05:51:00.000-07:00

The ankle is getting better even though I still walk with a slight limp guarding it. continued Ibuprofen and ice is helpful. I swam another 1000 meters or so yesterday and then after work I took Jennelle to swim team and went in to try the spin bike. I had talked with Dr. Frank and he said based on how I was doing to give it a try. OHHHHH YES! the spin bike worked and no pain and no limit in motion. I spun for about 40 minutes and then went in to the gym and did alternating pullups and pushups. I supported my legs on a bosu ball instead of the feet. I got a decent workout. so while I would not go run right ow between bike and swim I will very likely lose no fitness and should be ok by by June 21 ( 25 days away) to run a marathon.......after a little swim and bike. Adversity tests you and that is a good thing. I have been thinking worst case scenarios lately and since I already have an ironman medal what if I lost this one??? oh well i gave it 100% I sure would not want to but I could always sign up for another one. looks like I should be ok in this one though...cross your fingers.

next SATURDAY

2009-05-26T06:27:00.000-07:00

so i signed up for this fitness event about 4 nonths ago and the actual workout for the event came out....We will see how the ankle is at weeks end. I can perhaps tape it up really good like they do in gymnastics but at the same time do not want to hurt it clearly so we are really on the fence on this.

Oregon CrossFit Championships

ANNOUNCING MAY 30TH OREGON GAMES WOD #1

WOD:

The completed course is 1.3 miles including:

500m row

Waiters Walk

Clean and Throw

Burpee Long Jump

Details will be listed below:

The movements performed are for distance you will be moving from point A to point B.

500m Row - rower will be set up at course start.

Run - Distance to next movement.

Waiters Walk - Approximately 100 yds. with one KB overhead and one below waist.

Advanced - 24kg/32kg Men

16kg/24kg Women

Intermediate - 16kg/24kg Men

8kg/16kg Women

Beginner - 8kg/16kg Men

8kg/8kg Women

Run - 3/4 mile.

Clean & Throw - Athlete will clean the assigned weight from the ground, you may take one step and throw. The clean & throw will be from point A to B approximately 50yds. Once you have reached point B push your bar back to point A.

Advanced - 135lb Men

95lb Women

Intermediate - 95lb Men

65lb Women

Beginner - 65lb Men

35lb Women

Run - 1/4 mile.

Burpee Long Jump - Athlete will touch chest and thighs to the ground at the same time rise up and long jump. Repeat this movement the distance of approximately 40 yds.

Run - Sprint to finish.

Watching the Giro d' italia

2009-05-25T08:04:00.001-07:00

since the Giro is not being televised Jennelle and I are watching Lance and boys live on the laptop from Italy. the live feed is pretty good actually. Usually when you watch these on the laptop they are in Italian but I found the English feed. Jennelle has been my bike race buddy since she was old enough to sit up on the couch. good memories being made.

cut that hair hippy

2009-05-25T07:18:00.001-07:00

Sprained ankle day three

2009-05-24T08:48:00.001-07:00

After a rolled ankle on Friday during the run I continue to ice it every few hours and keep it elevated. The swelling has gone down but is still not gone. I spoke with Pharmacy Rob and Dr. Frank and appears to be a strain and should get better if I stay smart. No black and blue so that was a good a sign. This morning I am taking Jennelle to the pool to do laps. I will use a pull buoy and just work the upper body. I need to work out so I may be improving my swim during this rest of the legs. ARRRRRGGGGG!!!!! this blows.

Finally found where you can watch the giro live:

WATCH GIRO HERE

2009-05-23T09:28:00.001-07:00

NASC Promotional Video - 2009 from NASCWorkshop on Vimeo.

This is where I will be one month after Ironman. A great organization that I volunteer my time with....this is my 21st year with the organization starting in 1988 as a student. Hopefully I can use some of what got me to ironman as inspiration for the kids that a skinny asthma kid from nebraska can do some crazy stuff if he sets his mind to it.

CRAP!!!!

2009-05-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

So i went swimming this morning for about 600 meters and then realized I needed to head to work, wored on the tips that Brett gave me. I then wrapped up key tens at work and headed out for a 8-10 mile run at lunch.....mile 6 I was headed under the bridge near Alder creek kayak and took the turn and wappppppppp i rolled my ankle bad. I really was in pain. I limped back to my car which was a mile away and went home and wow was it swollen. hurt pretty bad so i started googling "sprained ankle" and even called Dr. Frank.....with some ice and Vitamin I I think I will be ok. I guess I will swim with a swim buoy and take it easy this holiday weekend. I guess the bright side was that it was not a week before the race right????

speed shadow

2009-05-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

after a few days rest i will get in another 4 day block of fitness with the three day weekend. today I will go swimming in the 50 meter to work on the tips Brett gave me and a run after. I am getting spoiled having two big weekends in a row that's for sure. I am getting ready to start go into a slight taper mode for the race ( 30 days out!) so get it in now and then do less and less.....I hate the taper which most not endurance folks would think the taper is fun because you get to rest a bunch....NOOOOOOO. If you are used to the stimulation and energy you get from a run or bike for hours then you just get bored really bored!.

I threw in some pics of the bike I am using for Ironman in 30 days....did I already say 30 days...4 weeks? my that is soon. I have also gotten my shoes I will use. I always Wait and get them about a month out so I keep them fresh. They are the Nike Zoom Vomero+ 4. I picked these as they are plush and I want the legs to feel plush during the marathon.

30 days people!!!! 30!

Steve

2009-05-20T19:54:00.001-07:00

I did not know him well but had met him many times and knew many who did know him.....all I can say is sad news in Bend

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Bend pro cyclist Steve Larsen dies after collapse

Posted: May 20, 2009 06:01 PM

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Bend, cycling community mourn Steve Larsen's passing (5/20)

2:45

Despite many other accomplishments, friends agree that Steve Larsen's love of his family was biggest achievement (submitted photo)

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He excelled in worlds of mountain biking, triathlons

By Nina Mehlhaf, KTVZ.COM

Sad news for many in Bend and the world's cycling community, which lost a friend and leader when Steve Larsen collapsed and died Tuesday night after working out with a training group in downtown Bend.

The husband and father of five competed all over the world in mountain biking, Ironman triathlons and bicycle races with such top names as Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer.

Larsen's friends said Wednesday they are devastated but want the community to know just how influential he was.

"This is something he has called his body to do not hundreds, but thousands of times and this one time, something was different," friend Jim Lewis, the owner of Hutch's Bicycles in Bend, told NewsChannel 21.

After a workout with 40 other athletes Tuesday evening at Cascade Middle School in Bend, 39-year-old Larsen collapsed.

CPR from bystanders and every possible lifesaving technique by Bend Fire paramedics and ER doctors at St. Charles Medical Center-Bend couldn't save his life.

The stunning news has traveled far in the hours since, across the world, from pros and old teammates like Armstrong, and Leipheimer who wrote about their sadness of Larsen's sudden passing on Twitter, and of course throughout Bend, Larsen's home for the last 15 or so years. Friends are heartbroken.

"I felt he's one of the my most trusted friends," close friend Doug Kerkoch said as he broke down into tears. "I would trust him with any business deal, anything in life. He is an affable, wonderful man."

Larsen first started as a mountain bike racer, winning titles and magazine covers and training others.

After marrying high school sweetheart Carrie, he moved on to road races and competed for the Motorola team and with Armstrong. Larsen moved to Bend and started triathlons, finishing strong in the most grueling of them all, Ironman Kona.

"To find him approachable and willing to teach what he knows to mere mortal athletes here in this area, it was very very exciting," Lewis said.

Professional Bend triathlete Matt Lieto expressed his sadness about Larsen's passing in an e-mail to NewsChannel 21.

Lieto said Larsen was instrumental in his young career and wrote, "Steve was a special man, a fierce competitor but most importantly a great father and family man."

"Everyone I have spoken to in the last 18 hours (and its been a ton) local and from the Triathlon community have all said the same thing, He was a dedicated father and he loved that family. The most tragic thing is that those five kids won't get to experience that love again. Very sad for the community, but tragic for the family."

Two years ago, he started Steve Larsen Properties, a commercial real estate business in Bend.

But everyone agrees it's his love of his five kids, the youngest twin 2-year-olds, that was his biggest achievement.

"There's a huge void in Bend today," said Lewis. "And the fact it's a bright sunny day, he would say, if he were here today, 'It's a great day for a ride.'"

Close friends say his heart is being sent to be examined and studied for any kind of hidden disease.

Brother Mike Larsen told magazine "Velo News", the autopsy done Wednesday in Deschutes County, ruled out a heart attack and a blood clot.

The cause of death may have been viral, he told the magazine, saying, "The last few weeks he had been having serious troubles with his breathing."

He said his brother had been seeing a doctor about his breathing troubles and had been unable to finish his workouts.

A fund is being set up to help support Lewis's five children. We'll have more details on that as soon as they are available.

busy day

2009-05-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

another fund day with Brett and Emily......( photos stolen from Bretts Twitter account)

average day in Bend

2009-05-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

We started out with a swim at the Juniper pool out in the 50 meter pool. Brett would be an awesome swim coach, in a matter of 15 minutes had improved my swim 100%.

We then went on to hit Kyle and the KMA workout and both Brett and Emily did well although I think they will be sore today. Steph and Rob joined us in the workout and then also a mountain bike ride right after the workout. Brett and I borrowed some 29 inch wheel bikes from Web Cyclery. Unfortunately the Niner i was on had a fork that blew up and had to return. Rob and Brett headed out for another hour.

I then gave Brett a tour of three of the biggest bike shops in the area ( out of the 6-7 in town) as he also is curious how a small town has so many shops just like I do.

More to follow....I like vacation

Brett visit

2009-05-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

So far we have done some mountain biking and some city biking and some podcasting and some swimming.............rest of today will be KMA, and more biking.

I had a great swim session this morning that helped a ton. Brett is a very god swim coach and was able to give me some tips that really stuck. It makes a difference when a coach explains a concept in a way that you understand and can show you. We did some video analysis that I will post later.

busy having fun

race report

2009-05-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

oregon State tri team girl had a beaver tail on her uniform.....tooo funny

what a great race, evertything went well. I drove over at 6 am as my wave did not start until 9:40 so had lots of time. on the way there i realized I needed to use the loo and I pulled into a state park in the middle of nowhere in the mountains.....no paper! but alas I remembered that i had action wipes in the car. Off to the races. The only issue i really had with the race was the bike setup, there were like 6 waves and only bike racks for like 2. As I came in mid race I could not tell where to put the bikes because some were blank areas onb the rack because they were out riding.......cluster.

got in the water and swam fine, I admit there is only so much you can do in a 25 meter pool with 4 other people in your lane. uneventful and good swim.

fast t1 and this time I wore some cycling socks...yeah I know all the cool kids go sockless but the extra 2 seconds really make the difference which think helps in the speed later.

bike was insane!!!!!!! I used Cannondale reps bike and it ripped! I used less energy and went just as fast if not faster than usual. thought about saving some energy for the run.... worked. Also fun to chew up the fast swimmers on the bike......always fun.

t2 really fast and the run was flat as a pancake.....I had a great negative split ruining some people happy finish as i sped past them.

the finish results were a TOTAL CLUSTER. The results came out as having me like 24 out of 300 and 2 or 3rd in my cat. so podium.....but then they kept revising them and handing out trophies and then asking for them back since they were wrong. they then raffled off single powerbars and single gels...seriously......i left as I had to get back home as Brett was coming.......I am still waiting for the official results.

solid week

2009-05-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

I spent the rest of the week mostly running and biking. I got out on the cannondale rep bike ( super sweet TT bike that weights 15 lbs.) and will race it tomorrow at the lebanon sprint tri. My buddy Canada Dave was coming but he did not register in time....bad Dave!!!!!

I did this little community fundraiser race a few years ago and it is a small one but using it as a training workout and good to get the transitions down and since i am using the cannondale for my ironman (in 37 days) figure I better get some real world time on it.

bagged a training session Wed. for a $15 massage that was 90 minutes. yeah the massage class at the local college has it set up for students to practice. pretty good massage and my legs were still tired from the weekend race so it was needed.

Big news is that long time podcaster of ZEN AND THE ART OF TRIATHLON is coming to hang with me over the next 4 days here in Bend. He and Emily will hit the friendly skies tomorrow from Texas. We will have a jam packed fun time with sights and sounds from Bend and cycling and running and swimming.....will be a blast.

looking forward to meeting Emily since she gives Brett as much shit as I get at my house....

2009-05-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

selling my TT bike as this Sat is likely the last time it will be used. I am using a cannondale reps bike for ironman and then my next big tri will likely be 2011 so I will get a better bike by then. I am going to put the money towards a better cyclocross bike.

film

2009-05-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

So I made a cyclocross film last year with a handheld camera during the race season and edited together on my new mac.........it came out sweet. They are going to use it as part of the 1st annual bike film festival in Bend. That is pretty sweet. so add filmmaker to my resume.

hard day.....good day

2009-05-11T06:54:00.001-07:00

I was fresh and well rested for the chainbreaker MTB race on Sunday. I rode out to the race with the Utreks and Rob had set up the Bontrager Ti single speed for me. What a sweet single speed. that thing roade well and it was so light. I must say these weresme of the best race conditions out there. Weather was mild, the trails were moist and not dusty. There were some 300 people out there racing and still one of the premeir race course in the area. The one thing I like about the course is it loops back to the crowds a few times so they get to see you and you get that cowbell ringing energy. I did a nice 4 mile warmup on the starter loop a few times and then rode right up to the start to get going . As the gun went off I was with the single speed group and the bad part is this is a pretty hardcore group of riders. most of the top SS riders I know and I do not really even try and compete with them. I took off staring staying with the pack but by about mile 4 I was off the back a bit. The first 12 mile loop I went out a bit hard and had to bring the old heart rate down...so once I got into my groove the 2nd lap felt awesome. I finished hard and felt pretty good coming in 14th place.......................then i put on my running shoes and ran the 10.5 miles home. That felt good as I needed the big brick for the day. My only issue was forgot to bring any food or water. I grabbed a 6 ounce powerade bottle at the race from an aid station and took off. It was warm but not too hot and by the top I got to Utreks house I broke into their garage ( god thing I knew the code) and stole a soda. then ran the rest of the way home. I got home about 2 pm so with the warm up and race and then the run ended up being a solid 5 hour day.

Proud brother

2009-05-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

My youngest bro is an all around good guy so The Governor gave him an award.....well maybe not for being an all around good guy.....

3 KMA

2009-05-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

I did 3 KMA in a row MONDAY,TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY. had an awesome upper body workout Monday with "shuttle run Johnny". Rob and Steph and I worked hard.......and we liked it! Tuesday I had a crack of dawn Kyle KMA and then followed up with a mile swim and a sauna with actual girls this time instead of the usual old men I hang with. Today I hit the rollers in the morning for an hour before work and then tonight had the usual Kyle workout that was icing on the cake. so the game plan now is 2 days of pure rest.....its hard to do nothing for 2 days but i am going to force myself to and then Saturday I will do a mini workout and rest up for the race on Sunday with the boys at the chain breaker. I am going to race it single speed and then run home after the race. I think it is about 8-10 miles home.

Epic fun day...lions and tigers and bears oh my!

2009-05-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

Not a fast running pace but it was hour 5.....

The plan was to do a group road ride of about 80 miles with the WebCyclery.com crew and we all realized the day before that the slight rain. We somewhat thought that plan B would be a mountain bike ride maybe.....fast forward to this morning and SNOW.....YES SNOW!!! what the %&#@@$.....Its May people what happened to global warming? Well I was going and to be honest I like the epic weather. So the group decided they would go out about 11 am for a shorter ride so I took off at 9:15 and hot the trails solo for few hours with the Ipod before I grouped up with them. I must say there was about an hour of zen like riding with some great tunes from an old podcast that Brett did back awhile ago for base training. I met the group at Phils trailhead and we headed up into the eye of the storm on to the helipad. I must say the up part was nice as we all kept warm but once we headed down it got colder and wetter and colder......did I say colder? Now I admit two things put me a notch above the group for comfort...my warm BBB gloves that Canada Dave gave me and my BUFF ( yes the survivor kind) that kept my face warm for the descent . As everyone got colder and wetter they bailed from the main trail and took the escape pod like RdD2 and his sidekick. I headed back home changed into warm dry clothes and headed to the trails by the river to complete my super brick with a 10k.

Lets see...........4 and a half hours of mountain biking in the snow and rain followed by a trail run 10k, You just feel good sitting on the couch watching TV with a cold beer and sharp cheddar cheese knowing you earned it!

ride the rails...rails to trails that is

2009-05-02T16:00:00.001-07:00

Early morning run and plyometric box jumps, the boxes were a good find and just the right size. rest of thee was some cycling and swimming. did a great strength workout at kyles studio and the plan for Sunday is big ride followed by a 10k so about another 6 plus hour workout.

Time to run in the homeland

2009-04-28T21:02:00.001-07:00

I slipped on my nike Pre ultrawick shirt at 6 am and put on my shorts and jacket and put the earbuds in and started the ultimate running album ( or I should say tape since the last time I owned this album it was a cassette tape that I played in my 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1....ohhhh I wish I still had that car) the tape or playlist now is of course the one and only TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA soundtrack. It was a little chilly and rainy and the morning lights were reflecting off the streets. it was perfect. I ran over to Hayward field. The field of dreams. What energy!....I did a big lap around the field and then over the the bridge to Alton Baker Park and along the river completing a great 10k arriving back at the hotel just as the playlist ends........great place, great weather and great music.....perfect.

back in the saddle

2009-04-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

after a mixed weekend of fun, failed race and Sunday of rest ( and minor tum tum ache) hit the training studio at kyles and had a nice 30 minute warmup run followed by a solid hour of non stop sports conditioning with super johnny! He kicked it up a notch and I worked super hard...I really enjoyed this workout. solid 90 minutes if hard core strength and aerobic threshold. I really lost track of what we were doing but a basic recall brings up some of the following:

lots and lots of box jumps

lots and lots of pushups, both with dirty pulls and claps

tons of cardio with sprints and jumps and squats

great functional moves that we did with minimal equipment.

Now that I am at the hotel in Eugene for the night i am resting and with clean shaved legs again ( always shave in the hotel bathtub) I am off to run on Hayward field in the morning...home of PRE and much history. I remember walking through hay ward filed on the way to class when I attended the U of O ( as one of my many colleges) and at that time I was not so athletic so although a Nice place it did not really mean much tome at the time except a shortcut to class. Now I am going to run some repeats where history is made and people qualify for the Olympics.

As part of my four day/ three night business trip I packed some healthy choices for snacks and food. I brought some prepackaged turkey chili and some chick and rice and some string cheese and some oatmeal packets along with protein powder. Now with these hotels having fridge and micro I have no need to eat out and keep on the program.

Fail

2009-04-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

It all started with the famous phrase " I have not been drinking at all during training but tonight is a "free night" so I can have a few beers............." Oh that did not work well. I met with my great friend Sully and had a few beers with dinner and went to a fun bar and had a few martinis and.......and...... glenned! If you do not know Glen you do not want to meet him the nightBefore any races...but Glen was not even there and I got Glenned. Not to be confused with "randy" who will get you sick in foreign countries.

The morning of the race on Sat I get up at 5:30 and drive the 2 hours to the race with little sleep and some dehydration. Before i got into the town venue for the race i pulled over and spit up a little bit. wow this is not going to be a good race. I pull into the venue and it is howling wind. I mean wind like I have not seen in a while. ( my father later tells me there is a wind farm in the area) I debate whether to even race but Dan is there and I have my team colors so to the start line I go. This course starts with a mean climb and in this case into the wind. between the "dehydration" and the headwind I watched a few people pass me that should not have ever passed me. I think " oh well this was really just a training weekend that happened to be at a race so make the best of it. This course was a large square basically about 26 miles long and I would say we had a headwind on 80% of it. How that is possible I have no idea but the last three miles I think took 20 minutes............and it was flat, it was that string of a headwind. I mean i did not know whether to laugh or cry?

lets see go back for stage two on Sunday with cold headwinds but instead 45 miles???? uh no.

so at least I did stage one and the plan is a big block on MON-THURS as all travel days for work to Eugene and Klamath Falls and will have time to focus on training. I do seem to train well on the road. taking the bike and the running shoes.

time to hammer

2009-04-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

great week of training after the big brick last weekend, a few KMA workouts this week and some swimming...rest today and the TT weekend in Maupin. 2 days...three races....I will get killed by all the TT specialists there but a good event that will let me review my times from 2 years ago and get another focused block of training. Lets see those wimpy TT guys go run after their race like i will....neenner neeener

1st tri of the season....short and sweet

2009-04-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

Ohhhh the Mondays 100 miles and a 10k

2009-04-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

What a great way to spend a Monday. I tok today off as a paid day off. Good way to spend a Monday for sure. The weather was superb and I started out the journey at 8 am with Utrek and we did a nice 50 mile loop on the rood bikes. Rob finally figured out why his chain would skip, ohhhh look your crank is falling off. After we stopped and fixed that back to the cruise. I even took a health nutrition coaching session that thy offer through work on the cell phone while i was riding. this is a four part coaching series to get business people in shape. After we established that I was on a century bike ride at the time and about 60 days out from my second ironman she said " how about we just call your coaching sessions done...I think you already got the message we are set up to give you for health and fitness......." done. health bonus in my next paycheck. Nice that they offer the service but a little too basic.

After 50 miles met up with Bruce for his lunch break and the three of us roade for about 10 more liles and then Rob headed off to a KMA session. brutal.

Bruce and I cranked out 35 miles and then i did the last 15 solo for the full 100 miles.

I must say I felt pretty good to crank out a century the day after a race, both Bruce and Rob had some team rides and races the day before as well so we were all on day two.

I got home and transitioned into the running gear and off I went into the hottest part of the day for the 10k run but good training for June Ironman so was very happy that I felt good. I swear i saw a ton of people out on the trails and in the park and everyone i waved to or sai hi to as I passed were in a foul mood.....ITS SUNNY PEOPLE!!!! anyway.....wow that last mile hurt and I came home and had an ice bath and a beer.....good hurt. GOOD HURT! I think tomorrow i will..............rest.

bonus tip from my nutrition coach during our 5 minute call.....don't eat this: