H2C Week 2

Two weeks in and training is coming around better than expected. Here are the stats for the week:

6 runs, 26 miles, averaged 9:57 pace

Highlight of the week was definitely being able to race! Crown City 12k ended up being the very first race since COVID shut downs in San Diego. Amy and I were lucky enough to be a part of it. 2,000 people raced and at the start you can tell there was a lot of emotion, excitement and relief to have some normalcy. 4th of July was the theme and Amy and I represented!

Amy PR'd and I ended up approaching the race as just a fun long run as part of my H2C build. But as soon as I start warming up, my legs felt good and when we got to the start I naturally place myself closer to the front and the competitive juices started flowing. I was planning on doing sub 9 minute miles but after that first mile I clocked a 7:52 and it felt very easy so that's when I decided to just keep pace and see what happens. I ended up placing 11th in my AG.

Splits looked good:

I felt really good and in control for 10k and then the wheels started coming off. Struggled to a 7:43 that next mile and maxed out my HR to 194 for about 10 minutes until the finish. Felt good to hurt that bad again!

I clearly wasn't ready to run that fast and at the finish Amy was there to greet me and I can tell I was about to cramp up - like the good ole days! Just totally overextending but it felt good. I sat down and slammed two bottles and finally started to come around.

This is a perfect example that you don't have to run fast all the time to run fast in a race. I've just been doing easy aerobic runs. Harder workouts will come but I'm not going to rush into them until I lose some weight and put in consistent weeks. 

So far I've lost 0 pounds but can tell I'm losing fat and gaining muscle. More importantly my easy runs are faster with the same effort from two weeks ago.

This week I'm shooting for 25-30 miles. This is an aggressive build but with my running background I know I can do it if I do it smart.

Afterwards Amy and I enjoyed Little Italy downtown San Diego and had such a good time.

Cheers - thanks for reading!

H2C training week 1

 Week one is in the books and it went as expected. It's never fun getting in shape. The runs feel terrible, energy levels are low, soreness is real and there's a constant mental battle to keep trusting the process. That's why this sport is amazing! It gets rid of the weak and rewards those that can push through mental and physical barriers.

Here's my stats for week 1:

5 runs, 16.1 miles, averaged 10:33 pace.

Best run was a 3.5 mile run at 9:20 pace which was at the beach. That run was cool because it's a perfect example to not trust your legs that first mile. I felt terrible and flat and then as the run progressed my legs came around and I finished strong.

Mission Beach Run

I wanted 20 miles for the week but ended up going on an impromptu camping trip with the fam. I'll take that over running any day!

This week I can already see a lot of improvement. Just went on a 6 mile run and averaged 9 min pace and last mile was 7:45. Fitness breakthroughs will happen quick from here on out. Up next is my first "race" in over a year! The Crown City 12k this Saturday in Coronado. This is just going to be a fun long run for me and my goal will be to just go 8:xx for 12k, get the miles in and watch Amy race for the first time in a LONG time for the 5k. Post race beers and a fun 4th of July weekend are in my near future! 

Happy 4th everyone, enjoy!

Stepping down from coaching and stepping into racing

What a fun five years it's been at Linfield. We set a bunch of school records, sent kids to state, sent kids to college and I learned a ton coaching high schoolers.

It all came at a cost though. I tend to go all out in my pursuits and this was no different. Basically practice Mon-Sat for 2-3 hours year round. This may not seem like a lot to some but when you have a wife + four little ones vying for your attention and juggling two other businesses and investing - it's A LOT!

My own personal racing and training pursuits were also put on the backburner. Over the past five years I've just had random bouts of training (swim/bike/run) and I actually did race a 5k in January 2020 and won the Masters division in 19:40 haha. Definitely my slowest victory but a win nonetheless! 

After stepping down from Linfield, I've had a change to revaluate my own fitness pursuits. With races popping up all over the place and being in a place financially where my family can do destination races, I am really excited to get back to it! Not to mention, Amy has been training over the past few months and is ready to jump back into racing too- and who knows maybe the other kids will want to race as well.

It all starts with the Hood to Coast relay. It's been a bucket list of mine for a long time and after my buddy Eric got into it a few years ago, I told him as soon as someone drops out - get me in. And this is the year! Late August I will be flying up to Portland and joining the reining Masters champions for H2C and I couldn't be more excited to get back to training and racing.

COVID lockdowns have definitely done a number on my fitness though lol. I sat little too much, ate a little too much, drank a little too much and gained a little too much! Right now I weigh 160 pounds which is not obese for my height by any means but I would like to lose 15 pounds before H2C. That's just a good racing weight for me - it has nothing to do with body image - I just know I race well around that weight and it's a good indicator (if I'm eating well) that I'm fit and ready to race fast again.

So I'm going to be documenting this little 9 week journey weekly, posting my training and random thoughts as more of a diary to look back on (which is why I created this blog in the first place) as we move closer to the race.

For reference of my laziness - here are my training stats this year so far:

January: 42 (total miles for the month haha)
February: 28
March: 22
April: 19
May: 23
June: 26 (so far)

Most of this is walking & jogging with the dog or training with clients and then an occasional solo run. I'm averaging like 10 minute miles. Occasionally I'll test myself (like last week) and drop 7:20 miles just to see how it feels (not good haha). The bottom line is, I'm not super out of shape - just need to lose some fat, eat better and get really consistent training schedule.

I like building training blueprints and this is what it will look like:

Week 1 (this week): 5-6 runs @ 30 min run/jog/walks. Just putting in 30 mins consistently and jogging or walking as to not overdue it and stay injury free. Mileage around 20-25 miles/week

Week 2: 5-6 runs @ 30 min run/jogs. If feeling good, throwing in a 45 min "long run." Mileage 25-30

Weeks 3-7: 6-12 runs (lots of short double days) @ 30-45 min runs and incorporating 150m uphill/downhill strides twice/week. 45-75 min long run. Mileage 30-40.

Weeks 8-9: Start to incorporate track work/intervals, long runs up to 12-15 miles total and mileage up around 40-50 miles/week.

90% of this work will just be all low impact aerobic work. So many people think you need to run fast all the time to be fast (not true). I'll be incorporating a ton of prehab work in there along with strength training so I can stay healthy. I wouldn't recommend this plan for everyone. I have 30 years of running experience (wow, I'm old haha) so I know my body well and know when to back off or pour on.

I'll race three legs at H2C and probably will be around the 12-16 range in total miles. If all goes to plan and I stay healthy and execute this plan I expect to go from averaging 10 miles right now for 3 miles total to being able to do 12-16ish (split up in 3) around 6 min pace.

Think I can do it?? Follow along and see. Thanks for reading! 

2019 Reflection

It's been some time...

I'm kind of obsessed with self-help books, podcasts and using social media for growth opportunities. One of the topics came up about how a big part of growing is to make sure you set some time aside to write. I pretty much stopped writing years ago once I stopped competing which I regret (the writing part). It was always such a great outlet to journal, get creative and it truly motivated me to become better.

I'll give it another shot, especially after reading analytics on this blog -people still actually read!

A lot has happened since I stopped competing in 2014. We had two more kids (Bo-4, Juliet-3), I became self-employed and own a few businesses now which was at first frightening but now enlightening and comes with a lot of freedom. I expanded my coaching business for adults and even started coaching Cross Country/Track at a small local private school.

Training? Racing?

I raced a 5k in 2017 and ran 17:59.

Then I did make a small attempt to break 2:40 in the marathon --read about it HERE.

Then there was a short stint of getting the band back together to break the 4x800 masters world record --read about it HERE.

Both fell through miserably haha. They seemed like great ideas at the time but...I ran out of time for what was needed to accomplish them. They are on hold for now... I've always loved to dream big and it never hurts to give it your best shot. Before I had these successful business ventures, I failed at 7 start up companies, wasted a lot of money, time and energy. But guess what? It's exactly what I needed to be successful now. Don't be afraid to fail.

I signed up for the Carlsbad Marathon, Half Marathon and 5k in January. I'm doing the 5k - DREAM BIG! I've been struggling to find motivation to train this year so I decided to force the issue and actually pay money for a race. It seems to be working - I've had two pretty consistent weeks of training and as long as I stay healthy, I'll shoot to break 18 mins again on these 40 year old legs of mine.

One thing I noticed from coaching high school cross country and track is that you give so much of your coaching energy to these kids day in and day out that you neglect to take care of yourself - something I'm going to work on.

As I reflect on 2019, it was such a great year:

Turned 40 with some of my best friends at a 2-day golf tourney

Was a Marshall at the State Farm Open and marked/briefly spoke to Tiger Woods!

Indoor sky-diving with the kiddos

Stagecoach!

Snuggles with Juliet

Running in Belgium

Beers in Belgium, Nederlands, France

San Francisco with my love

Helped Darren get to Kona!

CIF -SS Champion Runner Ups

Holidays with my favorites

Cheers to 2020, a new decade!

~As always, thanks for reading-

World Record Attempt: Masters 4x800 Relay

The year we won...and set the 4x800 indoor national record which still stands today

One thing I'll never regret in life is my ability to take every opportunity that is presented to me that will make me into a better/stronger version of myself. It's how I make decisions both big and small. Will I come out on the other end better or worse?

Tackling the 2:40 marathon is no doubt a big test of discipline and grit. Going from 10 pounds overweight and out of shape to a sub 2:40 marathon in one year is a very tall task! I've been back at it for 14 weeks now and dropped the 10 pounds, been fairly consistent with workouts and efforts/pace have improved each week.

Now let's flash back to 99...ha.

Back in 1999, four kids from California Baptist University set the national indoor record in the 4x800 meter relay in 7:31 which still stands today. Months later that same team went to the Penn Relays and took on the biggest and fastest schools in the nation and ran 7:19 with a dropped baton. I think we went 1:50 (me), 1:49 (Nate Browne)...dropped baton (was it Nate or Ricky?)....1:47 (Ricky Etheridge), 1:47 (Milton Browne). Pretty solid for a small school out of Riverside, CA.

All four of us are coaches now and somehow the topic of the masters world record 4x800 relay came up last year. We checked out the results and this is what we found:

Division	Performance	Name	Location	Date
35-39	7:55.67	NON-CLUB : Miles Smith Michael Schroer Jason Rhodes Scott Anderson	Williamsburg, VA	2010-Apr-03
35-39	8:12.33	CLUB: SoCal TC: Terrance Spann Bryan Dameworth Alex Hastings Brian Sax	Walnut, CA	2010-Apr-16
40-49	7:54.17	NON-CLUB : John Hinton Brian Pope Kevin Paulk Tony Young	Eugene, OR	2004-Jun-27
40-49	8:09.46	CLUB: Central Park TC: Neil Fitzgerald Anselm LeBourne Chris Potter Gladstone Jones	New York, NY	2009-Jul-11

That pans out to each of us going about 1:58-59 for the 800 meters.

Nate blew his ACL a few years ago so he is out of the equation but we had another guy we ran with at Cal Baptist, Angel Romero who has stayed in decent shape over the years. We reached out to him and he is in!

So a change of plans. Rather then going after sub 2:40 in the marathon, we are officially going after the 4x800 masters world record! Quite the difference in distances haha...I was a miler/5k guy so the shorter distance definitely suits me better - which I know is why I struggled at the IM distance. I will still tackle the marathon, but am going after this first which - will be great speed to take into eventual marathon training.

Since I'm turning 39 next month, we will have a full year to go sub 2. About 5 years ago when I was training for 70.3's I ran 2:08 on the track so I have no doubt I'll be able to do it once I get some speed work under me. I think the biggest challenge is keeping all 4 of us healthy - especially once we get on the track for speed. I think the initial plan is getting out for some track meets this year, get in shape and then attempt the world record next April 2019 at Mt. Sac Relays once I'm 40. 

So I had to restructure my training plan...big time. I'm going to get in 5k shape, then 3200 shape, then mile, 800, etc. Doing it this way to limit the chance of getting injured. 

The tentative racing plan for 2018 now looks like this:

March 25: Carlsbad 5000

April: Mt. Sac Relays

July 4: Old Pro's 4th of July 10k

Summer: USA Masters Games / San Diego Twilight Track Meets

July 26: Masters Outdoor National Championships

After taking several years off of "real" racing, I'm excited to lace up the spikes again and get on the track. Masters 4x800 World Record, here we come!

Finally feeling good

Disneyland for Thanksgiving with my crew!

There was a few weeks there when I was SLOWLY jogging along around 9 min pace and was seriously wondering if I could do this big goal of mine. I started back over a month ago and didn't think it would take this long to show some signs of progress.

Every run seemed to be the same 8-10 min pace run and none of them felt very good. Then just as I was doubting, I had a few forced day offs - Disneyland for Thanksgiving! Then I started back up again this week and what do you know - the magic is coming back!

So what do you do as a coach/athlete when you see something like this happen? You duplicate it. So I'm going to be going 3 weeks on then 1 week easy/recovery week. Friel really believes in this strategy...I do to a certain extent - however, I don't think there's such thing as a "one plan fits all" kind of approach. Each athlete is SO different and responds to training in their own unique way. Then when you get older, you still need to make adjustments. I have 20+ years of running experience under my belt and I know what works for me but again, making adjustments from the signals my body gives me (not just copying what I have on my training plan) is going to be key in hitting sub 2:40.

So feeling better is coming at just the right time -next week starts my second block of training. Here's how I've split them up:

Block 1
Lose weight/get in shape/consistency - 7 weeks

Block 2
Add speed components, lengthen long runs and raise overall mileage - 10 weeks

Block 3
Marathon specific training - 12 weeks

Race Orange County Marathon - May 6th

You can follow along with my training on Strava!

Thanks for reading!

Fitness in sight

View from some trails out my front door

Five weeks of fitness in the books. That first month was miserable but I deserve it for neglecting my fitness for so long. I coach adults and high school athletes and I always tell them how miserable those first several weeks are for getting in shape. This was a good taste of my own medicine.

Fitness is sight though. I can feel it coming on and my patience is paying off. I'm also being very diligent with rolling, massage, rest, diet, etc. I'm not waking up incredibly sore and seem to be bouncing back from workouts easier then I have in years. This is also my first time training seriously for something with Hoka's on my feet. I get jokes all the time that they are for old men...Well that's kinda the point! I'm turning 40 in just over a year so I'll take any advantage I can! I can feel noticeable differences in running with Hoka's. That's saying a lot with 20 years of running experience under my belt. Everyone that knows me, knows that I'm very susceptible to injury - all of those years of abuse and hard mileage leaves me very vulnerable to injury. I truly think the Hoka's will be my secret weapon in this goal of mine to break 2:40 in the marathon.  

It's very surreal to dive back into the sport of running. Even though I did triathlon for 4-5 years, I really haven't immersed myself into the sport since 2002 when I left my dream of qualifying for the Olympic Trials in the 5000 meters while training/competing for Bob Schul's Olympic Development team in Ohio. Back then I lived and breathed the 5000 meters - reading and watching everything I could...

I'm doing the same thing now, but for the marathon. No, I'm not trying to qualify for the trials! It's just that I'm an all or nothing kind of personality, especially when it comes to athletics. I'm just obsessed with trying to get the most out of my body and this goal is no different. 

Olympic Trials, came close...Qualifying for IM 70.3 WC's, check...Qualifying for Kona in my "Kona Journey, nope... Breaking 2:40 in the marathon before I'm 40? TBD!

Thanks for reading.

Long Road Back

Being patient is going to be my biggest challenge. The 20 something James thinks he can train and get fit without getting hurt. I've done a good job so far at ignoring those voices and just focusing on the plan I have written out. I guess you do get wiser with age? Still, TBD...

So far mileage has looked like:

Week 1: 17 miles
Week 2: 26 miles
Week 3: 26 miles
Week 4: 26 miles
(all with one day off each week)

I'll be bumping up to 30 next week and just slowly raising mileage with no intensity to 45 miles a week by the end of the year. First week of January will be my first block of two where I will slowly add intensity and continue to build up mileage.

Depending on now the body reacts, if all goes well I plan on maxing out around 100 miles/week, something I haven't done since I was 20! I highly doubt I'll get that high but you never know if I continue to stay disciplined, consistent and healthy.

Just a short three years ago I was backing up a 70.3 triathlon races with low 1:20 half marathons so, although the marathon is a different animal, the idea of going 6:06 pace doesn't seem that all fair fetched. I actually may be changing my marathon debut to the Orange County marathon in May as to make sure to collect on some bets that are in the process of being made...

2:40 or bust!

2:40 before 40

I have this void that I cannot avoid. 

For the past several years I've been "forcing" myself back to the sport of triathlon. I enjoyed those 4 years of training/racing so much and I think I was chasing that. It seemed like every time I started getting into a training groove I would run into big life changes and I would put it all on hold for months at a time, get out of shape and do it all over again.

As you can imagine, that became exhausting and frustrating. During these past 3 years...wow, 3 years since I last raced - I have always thought about the idea of doing an open marathon. But not just for fun and games but to actually train for one and RACE it. I've thrown down a decent half marathon of 1:14 about 4 years ago and a bunch of sub 1:10's in regular lactate threshold training runs in college lol (I never even knew that was very fast at the time).

So fast forward to now! I started my own business, our baby girl Juliet is one and after discussing it with Amy - we think now is a good time to go after my new goal of breaking 2:40 in the marathon before I'm 40 years old which gives me 1 year and 4 months to train and accomplish this goal. I always tell my high school team that you have to have big goals to accomplish big things. 2:40 isn't necessarily super fast but for how out of shape I am right now and the little time I have, it really is.

It's not going to be easy. I'm definitely out of shape and have years of abuse on these legs. So lots of aches and pains as I get back to speed...pun? In the past my build up has been pretty aggressive as I think I'm still a young kid chasing dreams. This time, I'm putting on my coaches hat and training myself the same way I would train one of my athletes while incorporating key workouts that I know I respond well to.

I'm 3 weeks in back to training. Just easy 30-45 min runs each day ~20-25 miles a week (you can follow all of my workouts on Strava - link on the left). Mileage will slowly increase each week for the remainder of the year with zero intensity other than occasional runs where I feel good and increase pace a bit. Basically, giving what my body craves, whether that means taking a day off or going a little longer/faster - it's smart that way.

I'm targeting the San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon in June. I don't run well in the heat so that's not in my favor with a time goal but it's a local race where I can train and sleep at home during race week which will give me my best shot of doing it in my first attempt. I will have 2 build phases starting in January with some 5k, 10ks and a half marathons leading up to June. I'm excited to race in the local scene again - a lot of familiar names/faces are still racing and I can't wait to line up with them again like old times, with old legs and gray hair slowly starting to show.

So 2:40 before I'm 40. That's 6:06 / mile pace. Back to my first love. Let this new journey begin!

Thanks for reading -

The Island

Juliet is almost 5 months! It's been SO fun watching her grow and develop. It's also been really eye-opening these past several months learning more about Down Syndrome.

We didn't know much about DS when we found out the day she was born. We were scared for the unknown and all we knew about it were all the "negatives" associated with it. The saddest thing we have learned is that our culture puts Down Syndrome on this island. An island where they want to detect it while in the womb so it gives the parents the option to abort. An island where the "hardships" and "challenges" of DS will take over the rest of your life. Speech problems, physical problems, health problems, developmental problems - it's looked at as such a burden and it's really really sad.

Let me tell you something. The island looks A LOT different than you think. The island is filled with an overwhelming amount of love. Our family has been transformed all because of this amazing girl. This is our fourth child and although our first three got a lot of oohh's and aahh's, nothing compares to the reaction she gets from strangers and friends that meet her. It's like she oozes with this indescribable love; a kind of love that we all seek and she has it radiating from her. We can't get enough of it!

We are finally seeing a shift in the way the world looks at DS. Instead of labeling them with a disability, we are starting to see that if you challenge them like any other kid, they will grow and develop just like any child. It is not scary - see for yourself! CLICK HERE.

We have been blessed with a healthy DS baby. We are fully aware of the road ahead but we also know that every child (and young adult) has it's challenges!

Love you Juliet, we are so lucky to have you in our family!

Coaching

James Adams Coaching Services

I started coaching back in 2005 when my wife and I had moved to Boulder, CO for a short stint. It started out by just helping out a friend get to 2:30 in the marathon (he ran 2:33). It was amazing to remove myself from the performance aspect and put all of my energy and effort towards helping someone else succeed.

Fast forward 12 years and I am now head Cross Country and distance Track coach at local high school and I've had the opportunity to coach individual runners and triathletes of all ages trying to reach their goals. Whether that's a high school runner trying to make varsity, a triathlete trying to qualify for Kona, a runner trying to qualify for Boston or the Olympic trials or a non athlete trying to get into endurance sports - I've had great success with a wide range of athletes and would love to coach you!

Coaching philosophy: I've found that there are four things that help you reach your goals and without all four you are jeopardizing your full potential. I can help with all four:

1. Indivisualized Coaching
2. Mental Approach
3. Recovery
4. Nutrition

The only thing I require is that you are serious about your goals and honest with your feedback.

Email me at jwadams5k at hotmail.com for a free consultation. Prices have a range depending on your sport and goals.

*Local athletes surrounding the Temecula, CA area will have exclusive discounts with local endurance affiliated stores and the option of one-on-one coaching sessions.

Foot Injury

Well so much for that marathon training....ha.

I thought I had a pretty conservative build up in my running which included a lot of double runs, rest days and easy running. Volume looked like this the past 9 weeks:

17 miles
18 miles
17 miles
29 miles
sick (2 weeks)
32 miles
39 miles
32 (was going to be 40)

The plan proved wrong as last Saturday, 2 miles into my long run I felt a bite on my left foot, except it wasn't a bug bite. I ended up walking all the way home and about 1/2 mile away from the house I had to have Amy come get me as the pain was over the top.

I thought I may have broken it but after four days of being off of it I don't think it's broken. I actually had a similar injury on the same foot years ago and was looking for that blog. I remember going to the doc and finding out it was actually a soleus injury related. Everything is connected and I think that's the source of the injury as I was just dealing with soleus issues about 6 weeks ago. So I'm just going to take this week off completely from running and swim/ride - which now confuses me even more...

As I mentioned last week, "the plan" was to just run in 2017 to free up as much time as possible for the family while still satisfying my competitive and fitness obsession. My new problem now is that after getting back in the water and on my bike, I forgot how much I enjoy the variety and disciplines. I'm seriously like an 18 year old kid that doesn't know what he wants in life haha. It's also a flashback to 2008 when I decided to get in shape again and train for a marathon, only to deal with injuries for 2 years and finally move over to triathlon. I might be rewinding the same story again.

So we'll see...Whether it's running or triathlon, I'm coming back to race in 2017 and really looking forward to it!

Our baby Juliet is doing really well and so is Amy. Amy, btw - pushed her out in 3 contractions like a #boss and was walking hours later. She's also excited to get back in running shape and start racing again so lots of fun/exciting Adams fitness goals in the house again - can't wait!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Kiddos seeing Santa

Stud

Little break from a 4 mile ride with the older ones!

Matching xmas socks

Our new angel, Juliet

Support

My full crew

Wow, what an overwhelming response Amy and I received from our family and friends after last week's post. As hard as it was the first few days, we are completely at peace about Juliet's diagnosis. We cannot wait to raise her with love and even more with the right tools for her to have a great life. DS has had some breakthroughs and Glen Doman has had a lot to do with it. We are quickly becoming a student and will provide our baby girl with the best environment to succeed.

I think she is already on the same page. About 50% of DS babies have heart conditions at birth, she doesn't. Almost all have trouble eating, she doesn't. Most DS newborns feel limp and lack strength, she's already lifting her head up and is strong. I can already tell she is a fighter and having her around the past two weeks has already changed Amy and I for the better. So much LOVE!

The support has also been amazing. Our church and mom's club have been so good to us, providing us with meals the past 2 weeks, offering to take the older kids and so much words of encouragement and love poured out. That's what a community is all about and a big reason why we moved back to Temecula; which by the way, has so many special needs programs - we are truly blessed.

Switching gears now -besides our baby girl, I also changed jobs about 3 months ago which has allowed me to work from home. This has improved my quality of life tenfold. The 2-3 hours of commuting everyday really had an affect on me both personally and athletically. I've basically been very inconsistent and gained a good 10-15 pounds over the past 2 years of no racing. Motivation would come and go and the job/driving demands played a big part of that.

Now that I'm working from home, I've been able to get back to my love of endurance sports. I've lost 7 pounds and am up to running 40 miles/week. Through all of the running - I've also discovered the love that I had for it in my hs/college/post college days. With 4 kids now, I've also noticed how much of a time saver it is to run as opposed to adding swimming and cycling to the mix.

So for 2017 I will focus solely on running. I may jump into a few triathlons but my main focus will be the marathon. I've never run an open marathon (in shape). Qualifying for Boston is definitely a bucket list but I also have some lofty goals with running that I will share as fitness progresses.

Right now it's all about a lot of short double runs to increase mileage safely minimizing injury and I could still lose another 10 pounds to get in marathon "race weight." So when you see me in about 6 months, I am not doing drugs -rather, a running addiction!

I added a Strava widget to the blog, feel free to follow along my fitness progression! Next week I'll share my race schedule. As always, thanks for reading :)

A Gift

Juliet Faith

Amy and I were blessed with our 4th child, Juliet. She was born with Down Syndrome on Thanksgiving day. Her middle name is Faith. I don't normally get personal or religious in the social media world but I have no doubt that the name we had picked out long ago and the fact that she was born on Thanksgiving day was a gift from God. To be thankful and faithful that she will be healthy and have an amazing impact on others.

Amazing she is. She has brought many people to tears - even without them knowing of her diagnosis. Amy and I found out the next day by a very special pediatrician (whom we'll never forget) and we were brought to tears. Tears of the unknown. 1 out of 700 in the US are born with Down Syndrome - we are quickly finding out that we were one of the lucky ones.

Within one week, I have made drastic changes in my life. I have this new relentless desire to be a better person. Better at everything. I imagine she will do the same to everyone she meets.

Different Approach

I'm 37 now and it's crazy to think that I've been competing (on and off) in endurance sports for almost 25 years! It's taken me this long to finally realize I've been doing it all wrong. Let me explain...

Bringing up the sun with Wattie Ink Punk! 

If you relate my "strategy" in training/racing to playing poker - you could say that I've always been a very aggressive player. I've always taken training and racing so seriously to the point where it hurts me. Over-training, over-racing, over-thinking, caring too much, obsessed, etc. I've never just gone with the flow, put in the work and let the racing take care of itself. I've always put so much mental and physical energy into it which (looking back on it) has really wreaked havoc on my overall performance. Ask those that have trained with me in the past - they would probably say my performances don't always match up with the numbers I put up in training. 

Well this time I'm approaching it all differently. I'm going to just put in the work and let my progression happen naturally instead of forcing it like I have in the past. I have such a peace while I'm out training now. I'm not obsessed with numbers, what race I'm going to do next, whether I'm doing too much or too little. It's actually making the sport fun again. 

My progression is going slower then I'd like which is expected. I've lost a whopping 1/2 pound  - most of that is because I lost like every muscle in my body - so I know I'm losing fat and gaining muscle so I'm cool with that. Right now I'm running 3-4 days/wk and riding 2-3 day/wk. I'm just going through the painful process of working out scar tissue from years of abuse and just dealing with feeling generally horrible in training which is also normal those first few months back. 

Waking up early to train definitely has its perks. The smell of summer mornings, hot air balloons rising up into the air and the sun rising up over the beautiful Temecula foothills. It starts the day with a smile and an appreciation that I am still sweating and breathing hard 25 years later.

My son and I watching motorcycles and monster trucks!

Crush & Brew...Yum

Grind

Temecula Winery Views :)

Well I'm about three weeks back into consistent training and I'm FINALLY starting to feel good, especially with running. Most of my weekdays consist of an early 5am wake up call so I can squeeze in a ride or run before my busy day starts.

5am is early no matter how you swing it but when you are motivated and excited about the sport again, it's a lot easier to get up. That's why I know this is for real this time. I get excited with every little improvement I'm seeing. Historically, I can usually get back into shape pretty quickly although I am now 37 years old and not in my early 30's the last time I did this (get fat/out of shape). Regardless, I'm only two years removed from being in the best triathlon shape of my life and I really can't wait to toe the line to race again. I'm targeting a little sprint race down in Mission Bay in October to make the comeback complete and then I will build into winter and go big with training to set myself up for a good 2017 season.

In the meantime, I'm really enjoying the summer with friends and family. All Star Game, Monster Trucks, Del Mar Fair, golf, BBQ's, Temecula wineries and of course great beer. Cheers!

The kids and I on MLB network with Harold!

Trying some new brews

Sweet boy Bo

Motivation arrives on its own terms

Wow, started this blog six years ago - so many good memories and I am SO glad I documented all of the good times both in life and sport. I am committing to blog again once/week to document my comeback to the sport - which I have found helps keep the motivation at a high level.

Most of you that follow the blog here (or when it was at Kona Journey) know that I've taken the past two years off of competing. I've had random "comebacks" or big blocks of training only to fall off for months at a time. The motivation would come and go just like the weeks would. I don't blame it on kids or jobs or anything but the desire just wasn't there. I poured my heart & soul into triathlon for a good four years and wouldn't take it back. Sure, it's only triathlon - why so intense? Well, I think it's very healthy for someone to have a passion for something other than work. It makes you feel alive, gives you other goals/accomplishments, camaraderie and the ability to compete  - which often times dies after we are all grown up.

Well, looking back on it all being two years wiser...ha - I may have been a little too invested in what I was doing and with such HIGH expectations. Ironman CDA broke my heart, like big time. You put so much time and energy into something and when you fail, it's very hard to deal with. My solution was to walk away because I had zero desire to get in the water, on my bike or lace up ever again. I was done putting so much time into something with little returns. I have always been extremely hard on myself which didn't help my cause, especially with that being my FIRST Ironman.

However, looking back on it all - the journey is what made it all so special and I really miss creating the memories that I now look back on with such a warm heart. Training and competing makes me happy. I'm a happier person when sport is in my life. So what to do? Duuuuh, get back to work!

For me, motivation had to arrive on its own terms. I tried to force the issue many times the past two years with no luck. Well it's back and this time going in - I'm a lot wiser in so many areas both in my mental and training approach. I've had some consistency which I haven't seen in quite some time and I'm already looking at some races that I can start focusing on.

I thought about reaching out to some coaches but I have decided to be self-coached for now. The biggest thing about coaching is everybody is so unique and it takes years for a coach to really understand what works for an athlete so that they perform at their best. I am very aware of what works for me. To start my main focus is to consistently ride and run (very little swimming), lose the 10 pounds I've gained these past two years and slowly work my way into a "serious" training regimen. Summed up:

1. Ride/run consistently
2. Clean up diet
3. Less beer in my life (this will cause outrage with friends)
4. Have fun

I'm really looking forward to coming back to a sport that won my heart (even more then running). As always, thanks for reading and excited to start my new journey.

Climbing back into shape

Getting back into shape has been fun and miserable. I still think I'm in this phenomenal shape and I end up getting back from a workout all shaky and wiped out. I'm just taking things slow (literally) until I get my legs and lungs back.

I have to admit though, I've been having fun with it again. For now I'm just riding and running for the next month and then I'll start getting into the water again. Juggling a new business, my career, two kids, a baby and a wife is no joke! I just prioritize each day and do my best to get things done. So lots of climbing, big gear work, trainer work, easy jogs with some pick ups for now. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

San Diego proved perfect weather over the holiday weekend that included a family hike, a ferry and lunch to Coronado and the family hosted at our place. Such a fun weekend, love this time of year.

Me and baby Bo

Thanksgiving!

Coronado is beautiful in every way, cheers!