Rekon Rap

Well, the St George Recon Camp is a wrap and it has far, far, far exceeded my expectations. I really just wanted to check out the course and see if it was something I wanted to spend the next few months training for but what I got was way beyond just a course preview. The insight and inspiration that Merilyn, Chris, KP and Gordo provided and what I learned from the other athletes goes light years beyond a single course or race. I would highly recommend attending an Endurance Corner camp in the future. Someday....if I ever get SUPER fit I may try my luck at an Epic Camp.


I have a list of notes and course details I will pass along in another post. . .I still need to download all my nerd files and charts but one thing is for sure...It is going to be a long day at the office! Right now I am packing to fly to San Jose for some Cisco training this week. Unpack, repack, repeat.

What I wanted to get out was some lessons learned and goals achieved from the camp. There is a growing list of it and I have yet to absorb all of the advice and training but here are some highlights.

My goals for the the camp were pretty simple. I wanted to have some fun, meet new people, get some good multi-sport training in and decide if this is the type of training and racing that I would enjoy. I was sure to learn along the way but again my expectations were far exceeded at every goal. I had so much "fun" I am still glowing. The people I met have inspired me for life and I kicked my own arsh with some good training. I love it! This made my decision about jumping into IM training a no brainer. Its on!!


A lot of what I learned is what Sean has been telling me for over a year now and in some ways I feel like "i knew that" but the practical application was...and is going to be the key. Hearing it from multiple coaches and then going out and doing it was what it was all about. Things like starting slow and (being able to) finishing strong cannot be over emphasized and although I knew it before I got to see just how good it felt when I started implementing some of these lessons. I will have a bike course review posted but I have to say that I have never used my power meter like I should until this weekend. My riding has forever changed.

Completing an Ironman is hard...I like that BUT the biggest thing I learned this week is that it is "hard" in a way that I did not expect. It is more about self control, proper pacing and preparing your body and mind to just be durable and go the distance. Just like adventure racing it is not how fast you can go but how little you slow down. It will be a fun challenge I am looking forward to sharing with everyone in our weeks, months and years of training ahead.

Camp

Well, my first couple days of the little IMSG camp have been pretty cool... Epic in many ways because my decision and curiosity about Ironman training and racing have been answered. My expectations have already been far exceeded so it is all gravy from here on out...

On the way over to Utah I got to stay in Vegas for a night and hang out with some of the gang. Thursday mornings they usually do the Red Rock Canyon ride but the forecast was calling for 60mph winds so we played it safe and just rolled the neighbor hood after meeting up at starbucks. The wind in the hoods was enough for us so we just rode some local hills and chatted. Perfect ride!

We have had a few "talks" here and the camp and although we have not gone too long yet it has been some good info...I have actually taken some hand written notes and I am sure to pass it along. Our team here has a wonderful mix of people. The athletic experience of the group is as varied as the personalities themselves... from top 3x Ironman champion Chris McDonald to newbies and folks from all different backgrounds. One couple here is from Louisiana and they met here after Tim flew in from the middle of his hunting trip from Kansas. He is flying back right after the camp to crawl up into a tree and sit with his bow & arrow while he recovers and waits for a deer. This couple is in their 60's and have a couple of Ironmans under their belts already and they are not slowing down. Awesome!


We had rain this morning and with the cold temps in the reservoir, Gordo made a good save for all of us by clearing the way for us to get some laps in at the local pool. I was really stoked to get to share a lane with Gordo, Chris and some fast chicks! My goal was really just to keep up and not "get chicked" I pulled it off and then I just wanted to hit this killer slide on the far side of the pool but it was off limits to us.

Another highlight of my trip was getting to split a room with Gordo himself. Stoked! Not only did we get a suite but all the food for the camp is in MY room! YES!!


After some kicking back, eating and some more "race talks" we did a little ride out to Snow Canyon national park. This is just around the corner from the course and the ride has a little bit of climbing but HUGE views.

On the way back down Chris and I were out front and bombing down the canyon at about 40ish...I hit 46 max but my heart was jumping from getting to ride with such a giant. I really dont know what is more impressive about Chris... His power and focus to win, ability to back it up (racing two Ironmans just 6 days apart and taking 2nd and 1st) or his down to earth humble spirit. Seriously, the inspiration from Chris and his wife Marilyn is off the charts. Very cool people.


We just got back from grabbing some more food (at a good spot - "25 Main") and I got to scout out a little of the downtown area and little because there is not much but it is a cool place... I am sure this place is going to be stuffed on race day.

We have the bike course on tap for tomorrow with a long run off the bike. I just got done packing my bottles and and hoping I crash out soon. Im gonna need all the rest I can get for the next few months ;-)

going long?

It turns out that our waterproof and shock proof camera is not so waterproof and shock proof... I have dropped it countless times and during a swim in Maui it just decided to up and die on us. I was stoked to get the pictures off of it today. Was it really less than a month ago when we were there? The time and miles have just been flying by in the last few weeks.

monique in paradise
oh, the joy of racing rental cars

In the weeks leading up to Worlds I was really perplexed about a few things... I have been wanting to spend a season just racing the bike around and I know if I focused just on one sport I would be able to up my game a bit. I jumped into the Oceanside half ironman and Vision Quest registrations because I knew they would fill up fast before I realized that they had moved the dates. VQ moved back a week or so and the Oceanside 70.3 moved up. In 2010, they will be just 6 days apart. Then I signed up for my first Ironman less than two months later. While just completing them should not be a problem, competing in them with the specific race training for each even is unrealistic to expect a personal best. Optimistic?

What I did learn about myself at Worlds is that I love the balance and challenge of the three legged race. Yes, I could be much better on the bike if I just focused on that but I really enjoy the challenge of running more and more and the balance of getting my swim form the best it can be... Not finishing the race proved to me just how much I love every bit of it. I will be back to race at Xterra Worlds again next year. I will never have the talent or running speed of someone like James but I may be in contention for the guy having the most fun out there and that is what it is all about for me (and James himself would agree on the fun factor).

So. . . I decided to jump in and train across all three sports like never before. Yes, it is November and I have no races planned for months but I finally feel like I have worked out "what works for me" and am enjoying swimming, biking and running more than ever. I have no plan or schedule. . . Just enjoying the ride. I put in the biggest volume and what I think is quality and some of the baseline tests I have done is proving this is what is working best for me. It is exciting and I am looking forward to laying it out consistently in 2010.

In the 14 days ending 2009-11-08:

activity

#

time

miles

Road Bike

8

35:00:13

463.16

(4:32)

Swim

8

6:00:00

9.55

(37:41)

Mt Bike

2

4:45:00

40.0

(7:07)

Road Running

6

4:27:05

32.5

(8:13)

Trekking

2

3:10:00

7.1

(26:45)

Trail Running

1

1:04:00

6.64

(9:38)

Weights

2

40:00

Total

13

55:06:18

558.95

Training days since Xterra Worlds. I feel recovered from my crash!

In keeping with jumping in and signing up for my first Ironman I also signed up for Gordo's camp out at St. George. Initially, I wanted to see if I would enjoy training on the road vs. on the trail and even choke down the distances required. I thought if I didnt like the camp I could just pull out of the race but something tells me I am really going to like going long.

Ironman St. George.... Its ON!!!

It is a new challenge and opportunity for me to learn everything I can about going long and doing it the right way and I know Gordo is one of the best around to learn from. I would love to get back to some adventure racing and ultra distance running/riding next year.... but one thing at a time! Hopefully, I can share some of my lessons learned from the course and nerd files with everyone when I get back or some updates along the way.

spooky butt

Another solid weekend in the books and we all made it through the Halloween ride this year with no casualties. Monique and I didn't even have a costume picked out early this year...we just got so busy with the trip to Maui and everything going on. I happened to find my costume on our last day in Maui waling out of an ABC store. Perfect for the weather this weekend.

Our ride started just like last year at the train station in the OC and we made our way down the coast to SD to hop on the train for the ride home. This year we knocked off a couple of hours so we had time to enjoy a dinner down town before we headed home. That was good(I will spare you the pics)!

On Sunday the OC Tri Club was hosting a sprint triathlon and Monique and I had a free entry. Who can resist a free local triathlon? Apparently me. We had over a dozen friends staying with us from out of town so a fun group ride with friends had a much bigger priority.


Half of the group split out early to ride the velodrome and the rest of us continued on the "tour de OC" loop. It is funny how the miles fly by when you are just having a good time. I feel so rested after Maui and really didn't have anything planned for training or racing at all but managed to log my biggest volume on the run and bike all year. For the bike I logged 342 miles and 163 of it on the Intense Spider. I really had nothing planned and just felt like riding a lot. Do what you love and it energizes you...or maybe it was all the coffee?


I realize that I enjoy the LSD type training more than interval workouts. Maybe it is the nature of the effort but I just feel like my body/mind responds better to it. I have also done better at most races over 3hrs than races that are less than 3hrs. Something to consider for next year.

After about 50 miles I split off to ride the canyon and get lost somewhere in Orange trying to find the bike path before heading back to the beach. My tri bike felt so much smoother after spending the day before on 2.55" wide tires that I just wanted to ride all day. So I did. I put in 138 easy miles and I felt pretty good so I knocked out a 9 mile run off of the bike. It was not fast but it felt really good. Something tells me I am going to like Ironman training.

The next couple of weeks I am playing network admin at work for one of our customers. A desk job for 8 hours a day. Dang....How do people do this? I am stoked for the perspective and it just makes me appreciate getting out and fun weekends like this even more. Not a lot left in the schedule for Monique and I this year except getting ready for the holidays and family time. Still kicking around some ideas for next years plans but nothing really set yet. I like that.

The road to Haleakala

Yesterday was a great day of R&R. I am seriously humbled by what cool friends i have and the encouragement, prayers and laughs I am getting from everyone. I am not bummed about the race at all. I found perspective and that is exactly why I love racing. Experiencing all the support and gaining a deeper understanding of what exactly my passion for "this" trail time is all about is priceless.

My whiplash, hip and pretty much my entire left side were pretty stiff but getting out of bed and into the beauty of Maui was the best thing for me. Monique and I drove around and took a nap or two on some beaches. Doing nothing in the right place sure feels good! We got a little snorkel and swim session in between more naps and before sunset bagged a nice little hike. I was feeling better already!


We had planned to check out Haleakala but we really did not look into any of the details for the route, miles, etc. It turns out that it is just our style. It adds adventure to all of our trips! Monique wanted to drive to the top and watch the sunrise but I wanted to give riding it a crack. Plus, I could sleep in a bit...

My head has been jacked the last two days but I felt good this morning and my back was 100%. Despite my crash, I have had more rest in the last two weeks than I have had all year... My body was rested, tapered, carbo loaded up and I was itching to ride! I figured we could see how far we could get and if my hip and leg would loosen up on the ride it may even help. . . ?

ready for the road ahead

We started our ride from the beach nice and slow. We really had no idea what we were in for (and we liked that) so we packed all the calories we had with us and filled our bottles and bladders with liquids. We were off for an adventure!

The first ten minutes were pretty slow and at twenty minutes I told Monique I didn't think it was going to work out. She was still feeling the fatigue from the race and we just about called it quits at the hour mark. We had reached the town of Paia and realized that paradise was all around. I was starting to loosen up just as we had realized that our most enjoyable days on a trip are usually after a race when we get to explore and spend time playing without any plans. We were going to make the most of our day so we stopped for coffee and then I rigged up a tow line from our spare tubes and some velcro to pull Monique along. It was the perfect balance for our energy levels today.


I really had no idea how high this dang volcano was above sea level! Seriously!! Most of the time we got a gimps of it the clouds were covering most of the mountain. I was guessing about three to four thousand feet but we would be in for a BIG surprise. We kept cranking along and before long we had reached 2,000 then 3,000 and 4,000 feet. When we got tired, we stopped. When we were hungry we ate. We were lost in the bliss and cleansing that only a long day of climbing on the bike can resolve. The climate and ecosystems were changing all around us as we climbed and kept our minds and conversation rolling like our wheels beneath us. I love to ride my bike!

climbing up from the North shore

Somewhere around 5,000 feet we rode into the clouds. I remember telling Monique that we MUST be near the top now. At about 6,500 feet we broke through the top of the clouds and we saw the road switch back and forth into the sky. Oh, crap! I started comparing this to other climbs I have done and really only Palomar comes close. The main climb is about an hour and change but we had made a few hour long climbs already behind us and we had a long way to go.


By the time we reached the peak we ended up climbing over 6.5 hours and over 10,000 feet in elevation gain. Where else can you climb for 37 miles without any downhill? The last 3,000 feet to the peak we had entered the National Forest. I had already burned through all of my rocket fuel and we had consumed every bar, cookie, banana, nuun wafer and calorie we had. The rangers informed us that there was no food sold inside the park. I just about chewed his arm off... However, we could now see the peak and every last painful switchback along the way. It looked glorious and we were loving it! Thoughts about my swollen hip were long out of my mind and we were boarding on an epic. If we could only manage to get ourselves lost it could get real interesting...

I quickly realized that if I had not been carbo loaded, tapered and motivated (not to mention unaware of how long it would take) we would have never made the trip. Sometimes the desire to explore and enjoy the ride can get you to the top of some pretty big mountains but in this case a bit of blissful ignorance made the work component disappear. This was raw fun. It is in some ways the most work I have put in on the bike and the opportunity to tow Monique was just icing on the cake. Thank you God! THIS was exactly what i needed.

View of "the other side"

We made it!

Another day in paradise with my best friend and teammate! It was pretty cold at the top and we didnt stick around for long. We could not wait to get back and... as James would say "eat our faces off"! The climb was in the bag and the views we had the entire was down were just part of the reward. It sorted us out like only a long day on the bike will do. If you have been there you know exactly what I am talking about.

The road back down was also enlightening. I had to laugh when I saw some sections and thought to myself while we were climbing that the peak was just around the corner. It kept my focus off of my injuries and on the goal of reaching the peak. We never thought of bagging this climb with Moniques fatigue and my numerous issues. Did we really think we could only put in a three hour day max? You can usually do a lot more than you think you can do if you just get rolling along with it... We rounded out our day with a nice eight hours on the bike and an evening of putting the calories back in and sharing stories. I love it.

Worlds

I remember Crowie stating something like "you learn something about yourself after every race" shortly after he won this years ironman race for the second year in a row. It is the unknown and sometimes unexpected that I learn the most from. The night before this years Xterra World Championship race the Xterra staff announced that last years first place overall winner, Ruben Ruzafa had crashed on the practice course earlier that day. He has suffered something like 40 stitches and was out of commission for this years race.

Racing has risks. Off-Road racing may increase those risks a bit more. That is what I love about it. I have never felt more prepared for a race as I did for this race . . . I have never not raced for so long to just focus on training for a single race or felt like I had got my taper and race nutrition more dialed. As much as I could visualize a perfect race the risk of the unexpected is always present.

Race day rolled around and I felt really relaxed. I was in good spirits. I felt good and ready to race! I cut out drinking coffee (or taking any caffeine) for a little over a week and I have been sleeping so good the last few nights and naps. The clear warm water put me at easy and I had a really good swim. I think that blueseventy pointzero3 speed suit really works! I started off of the back and moved up throughout both laps of the swim. I could pick and choose who I wanted to draft and move up to a new group without having to go anaerobic.

The time at master swimming is working too. I felt like I was just easing into the day with the last few yards of the swim. As we exited the water I ran out right next to Damian Gonzolas and Adam Wirth. I knew who these guys were and I was pretty stoked to exit the water next to them knowing that my RPE for the swim was lower that it had been at any race all year.

I had my shoes already on my bike popped it off the rack and grabbed my helmet and glasses as I ran up the hill out of transition. For this race I added two new things to my T1 exit. I usually do not wear gloves but I put some over my grips and I also strapped my GPS across my spare tube. It was clockwork. I used the road on the way out to to the trails to get my gloves and GPS on and settle in for the climb ahead. It felt like my entire race was playing out exactly as I had gone over in my mind again and again.


The persistent pace that I was pushing during the swim became my steady effort I was putting into the bike. I felt like I really had nailed my taper and was feeling like I had stored energy just waiting to let it play out. I was riding with Fred Smith up the first few climbs and we were passing people but I felt like I was just easing into the ride. I didnt know the course but I did know that the biggest climb "neds peak" was at about mile 14 of the bike leg and I was going to be ready for it.

As we came to the fist few rollers I dropped down one fire road section and the unexpected did happen. We had started a decent down a double track lava rock filled road and there was only one competitor about half way down the hill on the right hand side of the double track. I came riding down on the left side going significantly faster than him. I tried to do the right thing and yell "on your left". At this point he was about 100 yards ahead of me. As I said on your left he jumped the double track into the left side. . . It was happening in slow motion and has been playing in my head all day. I couldnt just hit the brakes because we were floating on rock on top of rock and before I knew it my front tire was already a few feet from his rear tire. I remember screaming three times..."on your left, on your LEFT, ON YOUR LEFT!!". The more I screamed the more this guy looked over his right shoulder and turned left pushing me right over the edge. bad.

I broke my helmet in two places and my body danced across the lava rocks but my left hip took the blunt of the impact. I really cant remember the last time I crashed this hard on the bike if ever this hard. Interestingly enough, I got to check out my GPS watch download and I was moving at 25.4 mph at the time I came to a complete stop. I was in shock and throwing up. I couldnt feel my left leg at all I guess just in total shock. The guy who pushed me off ran over to the side and started saying something to me and that is when I realized he was speaking Portuguese or something. Maybe left means right? I started throwing up and then he was gone.

I didn't really know what do for a while to be honest. I thought I broke my hip and I was just jacked. At first I could not move. My GPS shows me wandering around for about 20min before I tried to ride down the hill thinking there was an aid station at the bottom. I dont know why I thought that there was one? wishful thinking! A few people called ahead for help and before I knew it there was a quad rolling up to try and take me away. By this time I was limping around and using my bike as a crutch. By this time the reality of the situation and the race came back into my mind. I want to finish. I just want to finish I told them. I did not care how long it took. I wanted to see the rest of the course, run on the black stand beach, through the spooky forest and into the finishing shoot with the flags from all the countries lining the finish. I just wanted to finish.

I tried to walk using my bike before a truck picked me up and took me into the medical tent. I went through a range of emotions and I understand it could have been much worse. Nothing broken except my dreams and pride. Ha! Seriously, my left side is tore up from the lava rocks and my hip looks like I am hiding a grape fruit under the skin but no broken bones. I am so lucky I had a helmet on and a concussion and a stiff neck is better than any of them being broken. I am bummed and embarrassed as I have never had more people asking me about a race before and really didnt know how bad I wanted to race until it was taken away. I thought about what this must have been like for Ruben. He is much better, got hurt much worse and has many more people watching him. I am sure his desire to finish what he started was burning pretty hard.

I did get to see Monique cross the finish line. That was awesome. I didnt have Worlds on my radar at the beginning of the year and it was not even in Monique solar system. To watch her knock out Vision Quest a half ironman and finish at Worlds was the unexpected I like to see.


She as always makes me realize how lucky I am. Stoked. Sorry for the bummer post. . . I guess we cant ride up Haleakala or do to many exploring missions outside but this is not a bad place to get some rest and try to recover. Thanks for all of the txt messages and good wishes friends. I am pretty lucky to have such good friends too and hope to get out and play with you all again soon!

maui on my mind

It would be a challenge to be stressed about anything in Hawaii...even the airports make you feel at ease from the moment you step off of the plane. Monique and I got to visit Kauai on our second honeymoon over six years ago... I cannot believe we have been married that long and it has taken us a world championship race to get us back to the islands. This has got to be one of the best places on the planet. I could get use to living on Maui time.


We have been keeping it mellow the last couple of days and today we got out to pre-ride some of the Xterra "practice course". The real race course is on private land and stays off limits until the actual race day each year. Part of the advantage of racing Worlds before is knowing the course and how to regulate your efforts and speed. I like the element of surprise! For a few days before the race a section of dirt and fire roads that is suppose to simulate the actual race course terrain is open to help you understand just how easy it would be to slice a tire or drift off course out of a turn. Practice makes perfect.


There is a pretty wide mix between the lava rocks and dust pits on the course but our 29ers were just eating up the trail and I just love the heat. Bring it on! I love it!

I have not had the best luck with my drive train on most of my bikes (and if you read my blog I am sure you know...) so I decided to get a new chain before we made the trip. An attempt to change my ways? I rode around the block before we left with no issues but today as soon as I put any pressure on the pedals I was slipping gears like crazy. I didn't understand until I took it to some mechanics at the Xterra demo setup. It looks like I totally wore out my entire drive train and introducing a new chain totally freaked out my cassette when it realized just how worn it was. I had two options. Get a new cassette, chainrings and use my new chain (bling bling) or put my old chain back on. Lucky for me I still had my old chain! I put it back on and I was back in worn out business!

Enough about the grind and gears... I am stoked to have everything dialed in now and Monique and I are starting to plan some adventures after the race. It looks like the big day will be an excursion around Haleakala and lots of time in and around the water.