All work, some play

I'll admit last Nov/Dec I was super un-motivated, burnt out and started forcing myself to train when the time came. I ended up taking a step back, enjoyed the holidays and went into just full on unstructured/no pressure training mode. By the end of December and beginning of January I felt very refreshed and ready to tackle my third season. I think it goes back to listening to your body instead of telling it what to do (believe it or not - you're not in charge). I recently had an article published over at Tri Cal about this exact subject - go check it out HERE.

January has been a big month for me. I've had a ton of fun with Amy and the kids, killing it at work, nutrition dialed in and workouts have been flawless. My "new normal" in swimming has really changed. I used to think 10k/week was putting me on the right track on getting faster in the water. Then some of my pool lane mates are doing 10-20k a day! Not saying I have intentions of doing that amount of crazy swimming but it really opens up your mind to what the body is possible of doing. I've about doubled my yardage in the pool and have seen some big gains. Sometimes when you see the discipline in others it helps motivate you you step up your game. Love my swim mates!

As far as cycling and running - I just keep surprising myself each week. Last year I tried sooo hard and everything just seemed like a struggle to get through. This year it's coming easy without even trying to hard. I don't know if it's because I hit that magic third year and all the hard work is starting to finally pay off or if it's just me being very smart with my workouts. Probably both - I don't care I'm just going to keep my head down and keep doing what I'm doing and have fun doing it...

 

Amy making homemade ravioli

You hear about this book a lot these days. For
good reason, buy it!

Allen's rice cakes from the book. Real food ride snacks!

Staple dessert after big days

Spending time with my favorite lil girl

Wine tasting date with Amy

 

Riding a lot...



Climbing a lot...

Not AS much...but still enjoy it. New brewery - Helm's Brewing Co

 14 weeks until Ironman St. George 70.3...I'm coming with a lot of hate.

Shocking the Body

Thanks Massi for the sweet shot

Just like everyone else...busy. Didn't get a post out last week and that seems to be more common these days because...well, I'm training. It's game time. No more lax/unstructured training schedule. Tri season is upon us and even though it's only January, I'm faster than I ever was. I'm more hungry then I've ever been and I'm more confident and aggressive going into this season. One of the benefits of being my own coach this time around has allowed me to really dictate my schedule on a day-to-day, hour-by-hour basis. I probably switch up my schedule three times/day in my head. Just listening for cues from my body on whether or not I'm prepared to nail it or take it easy in all three sports. In a way, I'm "shocking my body" by breaking the routine I've always had. I'll throw in workouts at weird times of the day, put in little mini-sport specific training blocks in and really keep my body guessing while listening to it at the same time. I started the off-season off by following everything by the book and naturally just went to a day-by-day approach and since I've been doing that--I've seen big gains in fitness across the board.



9 Year Anniversary montage

I guess the one workout that comes to mind to me over the past few weeks that I'll share is my solo journey from Ramona to Warner Springs to Temecula. It's a ride I've been thinking about doing over the past year or so but just never had the opportunity until this last weekend. To back up a bit, the night before Amy and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary down in La Jolla. We started by looking at some art then did some olive oil/wine tasting at We Olive and then ate at Eddie V's for the first time. Now back when I was in sales Amy and I had the luxury of going to Ruth's Chris and Donovan's from time to time and it was always a special treat to do so. It's been awhile since we've gone to a fancy restaurant, but what better way then to do it then on our anniversary. $300+  later we just enjoyed the best meal of our lives! Holy crap, it was worth every penny and I highly recommend that place if you live in soCal or are coming out to visit.



Ride montage

I thought waking up the next day with four glasses of wine and a 15 year old scotch in my belly would be painful to start the ride but I actually felt great. I think there's something to be said when you drink high quality alcohol. No fogginess! I know soCal has it good when it comes to weather but this winter has been particularly cold. 20's is 20's no matter where you live and add a serious headwind that I rode into all day all by myself and my bike set up a pretty epic day for me. As miserable and cold that I was all day I had a smile on my face the entire ride. Where else do you have four hours of alone time to just think to yourself? It may seem crazy to some people but out of those four hours I received self-meditation, enjoyed nature, got a great workout and dreamed the entire ride. When you go on a ride, you're not just riding aimlessly - I've grown to love riding my bike more then any of the three sports (running is actually last on my list these days) and my ride fitness has sky-rocketed because of that love.

Other then the ride, I've been getting in the water quite a bit, particularly with the snorkel and band. It's done wonders for my stroke (especially my recovery arm) and can't thank fellow Wattie team mate Dusty Nabor for the little bit of mentoring he's been giving me for my swimming alongside my awesome swim coach (Coach Carol--who's crazy fast) so my swimming has improved and most importantly my CONFIDENCE has improved which I think is very important, especially with swimming being my limiter.

No half marathon for me this year. I was going to do R&R AZ then changed my mind to Surf City and then ultimately decided on skipping out this year. When I do half marathons, I RACE them. I don't trot so each time I do them the next day I can barely walk. It takes me a good two weeks to recover from them and I don't want to sacrifice the training time I could get during that. I have nothing to prove with my running. I know I can run. I need to swim and bike fast and that all starts with the Desert International in Palm Springs in March. I'm already itching to race and it'll be exciting to see how much faster I am this year compared to last year.

Until them, CHEERS!!!

Ramona to Temecula stats/ride

Wattie train on another monster ride, shot by Walsh

This is what has been keeping me warm. Cheers friends/family!

2012 in Review

If I had to pick one word to describe 2012 it would be FUN. It's been awhile since I've had a year that felt that way. It's a combination of family, training, friends and even work - overall it's just been a blast and I can't wait to carry that over into 2013. Although in this blog I can often times sound very serious about triathlon - if you know me in person, I'm really not that way. This blog is just an outlet to discuss my training, racing and some personal life experiences. Sometimes I can come across as intense or too serious on paper but just keep in mind that although I do put a lot of time/energy into triathlon - it isn't my life - it's just a part of it and I intend on keeping it that way.

This doesn't mean I don't want to go fast. That's really the only reason why I race triathlons. I don't do them to be an average triathlete that trains occasionally and their goal is to travel and finish races. There is nothing wrong with that - but it's not in my DNA. I love to compete and triathlon is my outlet and I'm having waaay too much fun doing it. In wrapping up 2012 in my 2nd year as a triathlete, although I went through hell trying to figure out long course and cramping I did come away with a lot of positives from the year - here's some highlights:

• Podiumed 7 out of 10 races (top 3)
• PR'd Sprint, Olympic and 70.3
• Had my 1st Overall Amatuer win (short course)
• Swam 254 miles (little embarrassed by this number as I still swam slow this year)
• PR'd 1.2M swim in 70.3- 34:17 (see above note...)
• PR'd 1500M swim in 24:56
• PR'd 40k Bike in 59:28
• PR'd 13.1 run in 70.3 - 1:23
• Ran a 1:14 1/2 marathon
• Ran a 33:27 10k
• Ran a 16:15 5k

This isn't a bragging sheet as it's more of me trying to instill confidence in myself that I had a good year haha. I still have a lot of weak links in my training and racing but I feel like I've done a good job working on those in the off season and definitely feel more prepared going into 2013. I'm a lot faster swimmer and cyclist than I was last year at this time. My running is like the black sheep of the three. It gets neglected A LOT. I only averaged 19 miles a week last year and it was intended that way. I put way more time into swimming and cycling just to get it anywhere near my running talents. Now that I like where my swimming and cycling is heading - I'm going to capitalize now on some more running and really use it as a weapon at the end of races this year.

Even though I became a faster triathlete in 2012 I think the biggest thing I learned is patience. I expected to jump into triathlon and just dominate 70.3's. I was so naive and so disrespectful to those that put in the work and did their time. I haven't gotten there yet, but when I do - I'll be on that 70.3 podium.

Check out my race schedule for 2013. If you're in the 30-34 age group and you're fast - Let's race!!! 
You can't miss a Wattie. Beers after as always.

Some pics from 2012 racing:

R&R AZ 1/2 Marathon

Strapping on the Work hat and getting ready to do some work at IM Oceanside

Starting the day on the bike at Wildflower



SDIT with Massi and Wattie



Podium at Santa Barbara Long Course



What really matters...



Cheers to 2013!

Rest & Test Week

Kiddos ready to go look at xmas lights!

For the past month or so I've kind of stayed away from blog posts about training. It's the holidays after all right!?? I've definitely done my fair share of training but honestly the thought and "act" of training has been on the back burner this month. Since Thanksgiving it's been all about spending quality time with family, friends and really just planning my 2013 season. Putting on paper my objectives for the year, my races and most importantly- mapping out my training schedule. I've been having a lot of fun coaching myself so far this year. This is the most I've ever been involved in my training/planning and it actually has added a higher level of focus as I go into each week and each workout. I learned so much from Walshie last year that I pretty much know what I need to do to get fast and it forces me to be "in-tune" with my body by listening to it and making changes on a limb if I need to.

Getting ready for my 1000 TT

Last week was my rest and test week. Basically my first test to gauge fitness as I head into Base 2 for my build to Ironman St. George 70.3. Basically it's a 1000 yd TT swim, 30 minute TT ride, and a 30 min TT run. The result? I pretty much picked right up where I left off leading up to SOMA which puts me waay ahead of where I thought I would be this time of the year. I have taken a lot of days off, only cruising in zones 1/2 and I still knocked out times/HR zones that I was only doing when I was peaked and ready to rock the last race of the season this year. So the only way to go is up from here. I look forward to building and seeing where my fitness is once we get closer to St. George. The numbers? Well I said this wouldn't be a numbers focused blog, but this is also a training log for me too - so if you roll your eyes, skip over this part and deal with it...haha:

Swim 1000 TT: 15:04 (1:30 pace). Just a solo TT (no wetsuit) in my HOA pool. Can't remember if this is a PR or not. I think I swam 14 low at SD International this year with a wetsuit so swim fitness is definitely getting better. The biggest take away here is that I actually haven't been in the water much these past few months (my lane mates would agree) because of crazy work schedule. Overall pleased with the results.

Bike 30 min TT: 12.1 miles in 30 minutes (24.2 mph). I didn't exactly do this the way it was supposed to be planned. I had a long ride scheduled so I ended up doing this right smack in the middle of a 60 mile ride with 3k of climbing. Either way I was pleased with the pop I had in my legs despite only doing easy rides for the past few months.

Run 30 min TT: 5.5 miles in 30 mins (5:29 pace). This was probably the biggest surprise of the three. My running volume has been pretty low, slow and inconsistent mainly on purpose these past few months to try and rid of PF issues I've had all year. So I just took the first half mile as an easy build and then went sub 27 for the last five miles. Solo, on the track at night and freezing. My kind of night! I had a lot of fun getting on the track and couldn't believe the results I had on such lack of running.

Overall I am way ahead of where I projected myself to be. The swim was right about where I expected it but the ride/run is where I thought I'd be in March so needless to say I'm stoked heading into 2013.

Few pics over the past week. Happy New Years!

Son got everything firetruck, police and ambulance related

Princess stuff for the princess

Beer for me in my new Ruination Bomber glass!

Some riding with The Professor

New cook book

Teaching my son how to shave

Amy and her nightly Yoga Sessions with the kids

Beer tasting with good friends

And maybe a bit of scotch....Happy Holidays!!!

"Hoppy" Holidays

If you're anything like me, you love the seasonal beers that come out during the holidays. I pretty much exclusively drink IPA's year round except for in Nov-Dec...I cut down my IPA intake and get my hands on some of the best beers the holidays have to offer. Some call them the "Winter Warmers." Although we still see a lot of sun in December in SoCal - it can still get in the 30's/40's at night which is my favorite time to open up a dark beer and let it warm me up. If you haven't already, get your hands on my favorites if you can:


Anchor Brewing "Merry Christmas Ale" Probably my
favorite during this time of year. Plus, who can't love
a beer from the oldest brewery in the US and the
only one to survive prohibition??

 

Stone's 12.12.12. This just came out last week. Get your hands on this.
It's the "final chapter" of this series and really is an "Epic" holiday brew.

Deschutes Brewery "Jubelale" They let a different
artist create their label each year...oh yea it tastes good too!

Left Hand Brewing's "Milk Stout" Tough to get your hands
on in SoCal but if you can, do it! Tastes like a milkshake.

Avery Brewing's "Old Jubilation Ale" This beer always brings me
back to when we lived in Boulder and could walk to the brewery. Great beer.

 

So now that I geeked out on beer, I just want to say Merry Christmas to family, friends, team mates and everyone that has followed along with me on this blog/journey. Make it a goal during this time to donate your time, spread your love and fill your mouth with good beer.

Cheers!

2013 Wattie Ink Elite Team

In the beginning of this year when I received the news that I was on the Wattie Ink Elite triathlon team, I was super pumped. Especially since I got the email literally walking to a bar to celebrate a half marathon PR and party with some of my closest friends. I made a lot of new friends through it all, trained harder, got faster and came away with some cool gear and sponsors. This year I had to put my application in just like anyone else. Only this time Wattie received over 1000 applicants and even though he expanded the spots to 100 I was a little nervous. Well I was picked again to represent the 2013 team and couldn't be more stoked. I didn't have the greatest season this year. Even though I podiumed in every race I entered that WASN'T a 70.3 I still felt like I under-performed. However, where I didn't was as an ambassador. So many people have a misconception with the term "elite". Just go over to Slowtwitch and you'll be entertained for hours!

I'm definitely not an elite triathlete. Even when I was running a 4:04 mile I was a border-line elite runner. Now-a-day's a 4:04 mile is a good high school time. Insane. I think Wattie and a lot of companies out there are looking for a good triathlete but a GREAT ambassador. Someone who has a great following on their blog, a great presence in social media and represents the brand well on and off the race course. A lot of people don't realize how much work is not only put into training but also being an ambassador. I fit this mold, so BOOM! I'm on the team.

Now this is not to say there aren't ballers on this team. There are several that could have gone pro, always on top of the podium and just dominate in the age group world. There are also your slow as molasses people on the team. There's young, old and everything in between. There's a lot of returning Watties and a lot of newbies - it's going to be a fun year and I can't wait to get it started!

Sponsor line up so far for 2013:

K-SWiss
Powerbar
BlueSeventy
Blue Bikes
Reynolds
Fuelbelt
ISM
KASK
454 Tattoo
Speedfil

I'm dropping a lot of my personal sponsors due to conflicts. I want to support the companies that support this team. However, personally I still have: The Bike Shop and SportMulti (Feed the Machine).

As far as training goes, work has had me absolutely slammed. Lots of end of the year parties, reports, meetings, budgets, happy hours, etc etc. Holidays have turned into one of the busiest times of the year! Still getting the work in, just not as consistently as I normally do which is OK. Now's not the time to be dominating, hammering and getting super fired up. I did that last year and learned my lesson.

Chill out, eat sweets and drink beer/s. Cheers!

Part of theWattie team at Nabor's crazy party that had the likes
of Simon Whitfield, Rappstar, Paul Amney,Wattie/HJ and others

Got back on the mtb and climbed Santiago canyon with
Massi and the MFG's

And of course, been drinking good beer...

The Run

#nofilter

This is the type of picture that stops you in your tracks. It literally sent me to an immediate halt when I came around the corner and saw this. I was lucky enough to catch it at just the right time of day and it has inspired me to write about it. Although the picture doesn't do it justice (it never does) it really was an amazing site. The light shined through this single track trail surrounded by trees like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. My stunned shadow stretched all the way to the other end as if there was a another person stopped in his tracks glaring at me. I couldn't help but to reflect that I've had tunnel vision when it comes to my running. I've been chasing my shadow for the past two years now. Trying to find that same running form I had ten years ago. Although I see glimpses of my shadow from time to time, I'll never BE that shadow again. I'm starting to realize that and I'm OK with it. The good news is - I don't have to be that guy to be competitive in triathlon. I'm a completely different athlete now. I'm actually waaay more disciplined then I was in my 20's. I focus on the little things that mean big things in fitness. Every single workout I do has a purpose, I don't just go through the motions. I've found a love for sport again - even running which has only happened over the past three weeks or so. The reason I quit in the first place was because I was so burnt out. It was no longer fun for me. After seven years off and then starting triathlon, it was still the sport I struggled to love. Swimming and cycling where so new and exciting and without fail, if a workout was to be missed during the week over these past two years, it was the run. I still managed to do pretty well but I wasn't in love with it like I used to be.

Well over the past three weeks I've put in some good base running miles. Each run has had a purpose but it has been all low intensity running. I've hit the trails more, drills more, strides more and it really has brought back a nostalgia like feel when I run now. It's like I have an extra pep in my step and it's not because my legs are fresh. Sometimes I'll throw my arms in the air and pretend I'm flying like an airplane, I'll exaggerate arm swing like I'm sprinting, I'll skip and bounce around - I act like a kid again with my running shoes on. I'm in love all over again.

It's really got me excited about the upcoming season. For some reason I feel I'm putting less pressure on myself. I can tend to be super hard on myself and will often times take it out on my training which is never a good thing....well maybe sometimes. I just feel more in-tune with my body (Yoga helps) which I think is just a testament to getting a little bit of experience in triathlon and finding the love to run again.

The beam followed me all day