December

Sometimes I don't want to train. Then for a day, I enjoy doing things again. I feel motivated to get up early and go to masters swimming. Then, three days later I can't even seem to get out the door, even in the middle of a pleasant afternoon. I am so hard on myself that my lack of motivation seems to only make things worse. I haven't been to a doctor for a while but I'm fairly sure I suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Winters are just plain hard on me, both physically and mentally. All of my hobbies revolve around things that are warm and outside. Plants, cycling, camping, gardens, pumpkins, etc...

This past month I can't count how many times I've meant to get out the door for a run or to the pool for a few laps. On several occasions I even managed to get a few blocks down the road on a run before giving up and heading home. I was coming unraveled mentally. I had even made plans to pack things up and head home to Spokane to get my life back to a stabilized, sustainable, and most importantly, meaningful state.

Since the cold dark weather was really starting to wear me down and I had no other options, I decided to make the best of current circumstances and pay a little visit to the treadmill. My outdoor runs previously were slow and difficult (for me). My best effort to maintain an 8 minute mile pace ruined me. Once on the treadmill I began playing around with my heart rate and discovered that at my current outdoor pace, my HR was like 115. Here was proof that all my feelings of sorrow and self doubt were just in my head. Once I realized that my mental thoughts were dictating my pace over my physical ones, I dialed up the pace and discovered that I could maintain a more encouraging 7 minute mile pace at a more useful HR of 145. Pretty much my long run pace I was at last year!

So now the days are getting longer (finally), training is a little easier (mentally), and I am feeling well and warm at the moment. My swimming with the masters team and coach Emily (and Janet) is paying off, due to correcting my wide pull. My run is feeling smoother and stronger, and I'm ready to get the bike dusted off and humming once again. Yes, here we go, the beginning of the next chapter, isn't this exciting?

Our new rental house! Oh the memories. You bet there will be some plants around come spring.

Spruce is our new warm cuddly friend. He's a one year old Labrador x Husky. His hobbies include tug-of-war, fetch, growling at shadowy figures, and burying bones in the house.

Keeping Myself Busy

Well it looks like winter is finally here to stay in Logan. There is now a substantial amount of snow on the ground and it is gray and cold. Yes I am still waiting to learn what exactly is happening with my life but I have decided to just do the best I can with what I have. Worrying about it too much wont help anything.

Mid last week I did a video tape analysis of my swim stroke and was a bit shocked. Swimming always came fairly natural to me so I figured I had a pretty good stroke. I was a little shocked to see my arms flailing incredibly wide when I pulled like a drunken spider or something. I was engaging the large muscles in my back no doubt (like I felt you were supposed to do) but I was loosing so much power by pulling wide. It's good we discovered this now so I can get things right for my rebirth on triathlon this next season.

So speaking of next season, it is very likely I will have a coach who will keep me on track and in the game. I have contacted a couple so far. I am a little nervous about the financial thing at the moment but in all honesty, as long as I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, a little bit of free time to train, and of course my Brianne, I am happy. Training by myself in the dark can only take you so far (so I've learned the hard way). It is an individual pursuit no doubt but a team effort. No one can do it on their own.

So this post has taken up a little time thankfully. I am feeling a bit more motivated after all of that so I think I will head off to the the pool and practice my drills. And one last thing before I go, I wish to give a shout out of luck to my two Jeremy friends (Cooper and Harwood) next week at Ironman Arizona. I know you will have a great day!

The Twilight Zone

Things have been interesting. Currently I am in that foggy twilight zone found between the chapters of my life. The job search is still going on. I have luckily heard back from a great vegetable and poinsettia nursery in Nipomo, California but it has been over a week since we last spoke and I am getting nervous. I really hope I didn't blow it on the phone interview. I know I am fully qualified and could do an amazing job for them. The only thing I am lacking is that little thing called experience. It is rather frustrating, you can't get a job these days without experience, and you can't get experience without a job. It is like a closed inside circuit. I suppose I could volunteer but then how do you pay the bills? Besides I have experience anyway, maybe it's not job experience but it's experience just the same. Perhaps I should start my own business. Who knows, maybe there is a market for old bikes draped in moss or something. In all, I am just lucky I still have Brianne and my parents to lean on in these hard times. But it is not that great, deep down it would be nice to be financially dependent.

Triathlon is hot on my mind too. I want to continue with my hobby but it is becoming more and more expensive. I need a trainer, Garmin, heart rate monitor, warm clothes, new shoes, etc... To keep improving and stay on track. Many people have asked me why I am not sponsored yet. It is good question but I always make up excuses like: I am not fast enough, I am not a professional, I don't want the extra pressure, I just do it for fun, or worst of all, sponsors will contact me if they want. This kind of thinking, I realize, needs to stop. I am fully capable of attracting and representing sponsors well. And to toot my own horn, I feel am able to compete well with the best of them (if I can just stay consistent and on track for more than three weeks).

So I wonder what will happen with my life; with Brianne's life? There are so many scenarios that can take shape. Will she go to graduate school here in Logan, UT? Will I get the job in Nipomo, CA? What happens if both happen? What happens if neither happen? Please, someone just let us know what is happening.

SOMA half

Depression, guilt, frustration, and even anger. These are not the feelings one wants to be experiencing leading up to a big race at the end of the year. If I am going to continue doing this sport I need to figure out how to keep my emotions from controlling me. Regardless of my feelings and condition, race day was here and there was nothing more I could do about it. At the very least maybe I should just try to have a good time right?

4:00AM, Sunday, October 23, 2011. My alarm clock began beeping from across the motel room. Both Brianne and I awoke in the dark and quietly began getting ready for my 6:32AM wave start. It’s funny looking back now but after I had decided to just have fun and enjoy my time out on the course in sunny Tempe, AZ, my head began to finally come out of my ass. I love training and racing, but I can make myself physically sick if I think about it too much. More than anything, this race was all about having fun and enjoying the experience. I took extra time that morning to savor my pop tarts and enjoy my cold coffee.

The pro wave started right at 6:30 which left the next wave (my wave) exactly 2 minutes to hop in the water and swim the 200 meters to the start line. Unfortunately, it took about 4 minutes for our whole wave to reach the official starting line. My plan for the swim was to take it relatively easy and make sure to swim in a straight line this time, not swimming any farther than I had to. Since I started far back in our wave (due to our wave not being ready in time) I spent a lot of time running into people’s feet. At the turn around buoy I paused for a mental check and realized I still felt very comfortable with my efforts. I held my effort all the way back maintaining the course and enjoying the sights of my surroundings from the water level.

Personally, I hate it when I hear people say they didn’t give a 100% effort and they still beat you. But I must admit I did just that. I pretty much “dogged” the swim.

As I made my way through transition I was making it a priority to smile and make light of the whole situation. Hey, getting out of your wet suit as quick as possible is pretty dang funny. I now know for me it is critical to smile and enjoy the whole experience of racing. As soon as I forget to do that, I seem to fall apart.

So now I’m a couple of miles into the 56 mile bike ride and I am still continuing with my 75% “dogged” effort. Unfortunately as much as I am enjoying the whole experience of the screaming spectators, the aid stations, and the warm sunny weather, a pack of about ten other riders are riding at my same speed. Since I am in no hurry, I am happy to ride behind the group (legally of course) and just watch. As we start creeping up a hill I decide to ride my own pace and so I move to the front. Then coming back down the hill the whole group starts passing me again. No problem I’m thinking, just let them do their thing. Soon I’m noticing that the first lap (of three) will be over soon and the group I’ve been trailing is beginning to annoy me with their pitiful distance perception on legal drafting and their unsteady pace. I’m feeling pretty awesome at this point riding at 75% so I decide it’s time to try cranking up the effort to 90%.

The rest of the first lap felt great and so was the second lap. I was riding hard but definitely not at full speed. Despite riding entirely below my (perceived) capabilities, I approached the end of the final lap with my legs beginning to feel funny. I was hoping they would last a little longer for the final discipline, the run.

At the start of the run I was way farther up in the ranks than I thought. Definitely nice to see, but I had to remember this is a triathlon, not a duathlon. The finish is still 13.1 miles away. The goal now was to stay as patient as I could and just keep running, even if it was slow. Despite staying patient, I started catching people anyway. The first person I ran up to, I made it an effort to talk and keep pace with hopefully getting me to slow down. My “pacer” didn’t last nearly as long as I hoped when he suddenly slowed after twenty seconds and said, “Well, good luck man.” In another mile or so, still trying to patient, I ran up to one of the pro women. “How’s it going,” I said, trying to sound normal… Nothing. “What’s your pace you’re trying to hit?” I said anyway (now knowing this was not the sort of question you ask a pro, especially a tired and irritated pro)… Nothing. “Okay, well good race,” I said as I slowly moved forward.

As I waited for my legs to fall apart at any second but still feeling okay, I made my way up on another lady pro. “How’s it going?” I said anyway, this time not expecting much… Nothing. “Well good job.” I said as I ran ahead. It was shortly after this that my hamstring had finally had enough and cramped up. Great, I have like 8 miles to go and I’m cramping already. This is going to be a long, long run home. I stopped to stretch and my hammy surprisingly felt much better. I was able to run (relatively) normal again. I caught back up to the lady pro but I didn’t feel like passing her again so I just hung back a few feet. At the beginning of the second and final lap I needed a pit stop…BAD! I had taken some electrolytes during the bike for the first time ever so I wonder if that had anything to do with it. Anyway, as I began running again my spark seemed to be missing. I was having trouble getting my feet to come off the ground and I noticed I was running the same pace as everyone else, now swarming onto the course. Soon I began having trouble just keeping up with those around me and my groin began to hint another cramp was coming. Yes, the end was upon me and even if I wanted to race, I couldn’t. I was a cramping and bonking mess. The last 5 miles I would be exercising the bonkaroo shuffle. I felt like quitting and laying down but I finished.

I finished in a very sub-par, eighth place in my age group and twenty first over all. But considering my state of mind and training approach the last five to six weeks, I am happy I started the race and even happier I finished. So now I guess it is time to sit back, take things a little easier, and think about what improvements can be made for next year. I am looking forward to a new season and I am looking forward to improving. I am even looking forward to a having a coach which for me I feel could be huge. But I think most importantly, I am looking forward to having more fun like I did here at SOMA.

The Change

It is clear to me now that something is not right. For the last ten days I have been steadily sliding into a black hole of depression and exhaustion. My problems became apparent the day Brianne left for her girls version of The Hangover in Las Vegas and the weather changed. That exact day the weather plummeted from a delightful 85 degree sunny, calm, splendid day to a rainy and snowy storm of yuck. I went out for a ride anyway and absolutely froze up solid. Cold and Adam are like oil and water, we just don't mix. Up until that point my training had been going tremendously which was filling me with all sorts of confidence for my big half iron showdown at SOMA in Tempe, AZ. But since that day when Brianne left and the weather changed, I have been sinking into a hole I can't figure out how to dig back out of.

Researching the symptoms of over training, it was shocking how close I fit the description. How did I let this happen again?! My current training did not even approach the training I did in Moscow, ID where I lived like a hermit and biked like 400 miles a week along with 40 miles of running and 15-20,000yd. of swimming? I know I was stupid back then in my adolescent triathlon days and I was obviously over trained then. Knowing that now, I take a scheduled easy day and/or a rest day once a week. If I am still feeling completely fried, I'll take another day off or make it real easy. Meals are another factor of the triathlon equation I've been paying more attention to this time around. I make it a big point to meet my protein needs, something I have neglected in the past. I have also been keeping an accurate and detailed journal of my training so I can see what I have been through and what should come next. But I guess all that doesn't matter because I am still wrong.

I think my trouble is that I can't do just ONE thing. I need to have other things to do. Even if it means I can't do those things 100%. If I am allowed to do just one thing, I will quickly become bored with the task and start doing something else. Then I will abandon that for something else, and so on. I now believe that the mind and body work more closely together than I have ever realized. Your mind needs to be, lacking for a better choice of words, "Happy". If your mind is not willing, then your body will surely not follow.

So how do we fix this problem then? I am not entirely sure but I think the first priority is to become settled and comfortable. Comfortable yes, settled no. I need to be apart of something more than myself. Brianne and I joined a little local triathlon club but I feel a little out of place. I am the only guy and both Brianne and I are the only "young" people. Not that there is anything wrong with that, its just hard to relate.

So that is the change. I know success and improvement comes with being consistent and driven and going out on days when you don't want to but so far, that mentality has always left me tired, depressed, irritable, over trained, and not having any fun what so ever. It is becoming increasingly clear now that I need a coach to keep me on track and from doing stupid unnecessary stuff. A group of crazies like me would help too... not necessarily training buddies (although that would be even better) but just people like me... for camaraderie and moral support. I think everyone can relate.

The Elephantman and a Wedding

As I sit here thinking about this past weekend's race and everything else, I have a feeling this will be a long post. There is too much that has been happening and there are too many friends to acknowledge for this to be a little "blip" of a post. So I apologize for those of you having to read this novel of an entry just to get to my point. I also apologize for sounding corny sometimes. Things sometimes sound really cool in my head but then almost embarrassing in text. So sorry for sometimes being corny... Dang, I'm still talking... blah blah blah... on with the show.

The weekend before Elephantman I attended a wedding. I was nervous that the time away from training would seriously derail my preparation for Elephantman and ultimately affect my performance at the SOMA half-iron triathlon a month later. Fortunately I was able to keep my jets cooled and everything worked out fine. Attending the wedding was probably a blessing in disguise. I had put in some hard weeks of training and a few days of rest would likely do me good. However, a few of us at the wedding were entered into a 10k run just for kicks and giggles. I'll spare you the boring details but I had a massive negative split indicating my form was coming around.

On race morning a week later, I awoke at 5:00am from a sleepless night at the Oxford cabin with my fellow NMSU Triathlon Race Club team mates. We proceeded to gear up, fill our bottles, and jam some breakfast down our throats. I never know what I should eat but I had decided that 2 brown sugar and cinnamon pop tarts, a banana, and a few bites of a plain bagel would do the job along with a cup of instant coffee.

The Elephantman course is easily the slowest (and hardest) Olympic distance triathlon I have ever done. The swim is a mile in length and always seems slow, regardless of the conditions. The slightly long 26.5 mile bike is easily summarized as hilly and windy. You are either ascending a 10% grade or descending it. The last 10 miles of the bike are flat and fast but you are so tired at that point. Finally on the run, the first (and last) 3/4 of a mile is on soft sand and again, hilly. Then you run up some more hills to the turn around before repeating it in the opposite direction.

I am not sure where to place this but I must mention it. A few days before the race, my good friend Brian Perrine passed away. Brian was a member of the NMSU Race Club and his absence from the race and from life hit me harder than I thought. The final days leading up to the race Brian was on on my mind an awful lot. Even though he was gone, just remembering him and his life gave me strength and motivation to carry on when things were getting tough and looking hopeless. Before Brian I though it was amusing that people would dedicate a performance to someone, especially someone who is gone. I don't find it strange at all anymore and honestly, I feel if anyone still finds it amusing they are missing the whole point of relationship, of life, of a friend. I miss you Brian. This one is for you.

The race started as normal and we were off at 8:00. As we settled into the swim I did my best to find a fast pair of feet to follow. Unfortunately the water was so murky that it was nearly impossible to see the feet in front of you. I realized that just swimming by myself was easier. I was swimming hard but making sure to stay within my limits knowing that this race is won on the bike, most years, followed by a solid run. The swimming course was a little different this year (a big 'T') compared to previous years so you had to stay pretty alert with all the extra turns and buoys in the water. As I rounded the second to last buoy there were some extra same colored buoys floating around. I was starting to get confused so I stopped to look around and figure things out. Well, I thought I figured it out, so I started swimming again but I was mostly just following the people in front of me. Eventually I swam up to the splashing swimmers I thought were swimming my direction but quickly I realized they were swimming right at me! OOOH NOOO! I had swum to the wrong buoy! Now I had no idea where I was or what buoy I was supposed to swim to. Should I just jump in with these swimmers and swim the course again? Should I swim back exactly the way I came? I finally just decided to swim directly back to the beach where we exited hoping I wouldn't get DQed for missing a buoy. "I messed that swim up so bad!" I thought as I ran up the beach. I wish I knew how much time I actually lost but I don't. It could be four minutes, it could be one minute. Who knows?

I got out of the water in 27th position. Ouch! I've never been that far back before. Mike Montoya hollered at me that I was over 5 minutes down and although I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me I was super motivated to give it everything I had.

At the top of the first hill out of transition I started to get to work. I wanted to be a little more conservative at first but being so far back after the swim, the time for patience was gone. One by one I worked my way through the ranks. At first, passing the cyclists just ahead of me came relatively easy, but as I moved through the field, each progressive cyclist became stronger and stronger and the passes became just that much harder. At mile 15 the hilly uphill battle was over and it was flat and fast the rest of the way back. I pulled up on Rance Irvin with maybe 8 to 10 miles to go and moved into third place (not knowing that at the time). I seemed to be having one of the best bike splits of my life but would it be enough to make up for my horrendous swim?

Rolling towards T2 I couldn't believe what I just did. I took another wrong turn! What? Am I trying to give myself a handicap? Although I was having a good day physically, I was just making every mistake possible. I ended up rolling all the way around the parking lot and then back up the hill to get back on track. Again how much time I lost is anyone's guess. Likely around 30 seconds but could be 15 or more either way. Despite my little mistake around the parking lot, I surprisingly still recorded the fastest bike split of the day! Now the run... the race is on!

I stormed in and out of transition still not knowing if I was tenth or first. Someone eventually yelled I was third but first and second place must be miles ahead since I couldn't see them. Last year on the run I just sort of fizzled away, and pretty much gave up. I wasn't contentiously thinking about Brian, but each time the going was getting rough, he seemed to just pop into my head. I felt I couldn't slow down otherwise I would be letting him down. Eventually I saw second place but he was ridiculously far away. It didn't matter. I would keep pushing no matter what, all the way to the end.

I was beginning to make all sorts of weird noises and gasping groans running up the last final hill to the turn around but I made it without collapsing. At exactly mile three, I caught Adam Miller and moved into second place. I was running as hard as I could but I still didn't know if I was running that fast, sometimes it's hard to tell when you are so tired, have numb hands and tunnel vision.

The last few miles I kept thinking that at any moment I would collapse and need to be carried off in an ambulance as my vision got slowly darker and more narrow but thankfully I held it together to finish second to Michael Stoner who swam like a fish and rode like a freight train to destroy us all. Despite my efforts of combining the best bike and run splits of the day (the run was a new run course record surprisingly) I still couldn't close the gap on Michael. However, I know that my placing on this day was not my primary goal. I wanted to be satisfied with my efforts and more importantly, race for my injured and missing friends.

But before I sign off I want to acknowledge some more people who have helped me get this far. In no specific order... Jeffery Oxford- for your leadership, Taylor Burgett, for firing me up to train and race, Xavier Nolen- for being the best bike training buddy, Deanna Drayer- for your supporting friendship, Silvanna Francescitti-for your light good humor, Pietre Hamblin-Hatchell- for your cool natured friendship, Jason McClure- for your pre-race pasta dinner, humor, and everything else, David Rutledge- for being a good friend and showing me the cycling world, and finally Brianne- (I could write a whole blog entry on this one) for letting me do what I want to do (mostly) and loving me for who I am. You mean everything to me. So that was the Elephantman 2011. An interesting race to say the least but, a damn good time! Sorry this post has gotten a little emotional but I guess I really did race for my friends whether I would admit it or not. I honestly appreciate the time we spend together.

The Logan Race Club

It's true, Logan, Utah has a Race Club! Just like NMSU! However, this "Logan version" of Race Club is a little different, it is cycling only. Yesterday, after three or four weeks of trying to find them, I finally managed to catch up with them during their Tuesday Night Ride. For those of you who ride in Las Cruces with Zia Velo, it is like their "Heater" ride, meaning, it is FAST, HARD, and AGGRESSIVE.

It was nice to finally meet some other people who share my passion and interests and learn some new names (which I will probably forget by next Tuesday). Of course rolling into the parking lot all by myself not knowing anyone I was nervous as hell stuttering and shaking all over the place but once we got rolling, my nerves settled down and I began to get my feel for riding in a group again.

After the ride, where there were about three or more very hard pulls for the sprints, a couple of the riders asked if I went to Gonzaga since I had on my Gonzaga jersey. "Unfortunately no" I said. "I just grew up in Spokane and my Mom is a huge fan of their basketball program and sends me all of their swag if she sees it." However, don't get me wrong, I too am a fan of Gonzaga basketball!

So the ride went well. I managed to not make too big a fool out of myself while riding in a new group and basically just followed wheels to see where we were going. Maybe after a few more rides with the Logan Race Club big boys, I will try and give one of the sprints a try, even though I am not very good at sprinting. Overall, Logan is pretty awesome. There is beautiful scenery everywhere, numerous recreation options, and of course GREAT cheese (which seems to be my food of choice lately). I must eat a block of cheese every seven to ten days. That, and a gallon of ice cream. Thank goodness for my active lifestyle or I swear I would weigh 1,000 pounds by now.

Skyline Half Marathon (Plus 1) Trail Race

Yes its that time! It's race report time! But first, before we get to the amazing super, hot, action-packed part (giving the benefit of the doubt here), I need to give a short briefing of the past few weeks.

In July, Brianne was super gung-ho about doing a half marathon later in the summer. Eventually she decided on doing the Skyline Half Marathon in Eden, UT, only about an hours drive from Logan. I supported her 100% and was honestly, excited to be a cheerleader for the day. When Brianne registered she said that the race was lacking participants and that if I entered and mentioned Brianne's name she would get $10 off her race entry fee. Well, I wasn't ready... yet... but I had six weeks to get ready. So I registered.

Shortly thereafter, I moved to Logan and began to feel the pull and affects of triathlon training again. Brianne and I both joined a gym and I started swimming and getting the groove on with "Sammy" (my new road bike). But 10 days out from the race, horror struck! Brianne got hit by a car and fractured her cheek and orbital bone. Thank goodness she was all right, for the most part, except she was a little scratched up. Brianne is one tough little lady. It definitely could have been a lot worse. She will make a full recovery luckily, and be as good as new in a few weeks but unfortunately, the Skyline Half Marathon would be a no-go. Now Brianne would be my cheerleader. Not exactly the way we hoped it would work out but it would work out.

On race morning, we arose at 4:30am and drove to Eden, Utah where the shuttle picked us up and drove us to the start line deep in the Wasatch Mountains. Being the first race where I actually felt I had some training under my belt I started getting a little nervous. I wasn't nervous about the other people but about how I would preform because it has been close to a year since I had actually trained for a race. Plus, I would be lying if I said I didn't want to win because they were giving away some free trail running shoes to the winner. (Okay, maybe I was worried about the other runners then.) Since I don't have a job and my money is winding down, I could use some free new shoes.

At 7:30 we lined up at the start. "Remember, this is a long race, it will just be like a long Sunday run with a bunch of friends" I thought. The count down started and soon we were off in pursuit of the finish... 14.1 miles to go...

Immediately, the race rocketed up the mountain. I tucked myself into second position and settled into what I felt was a good rhythm. The race quickly spread out and soon there were just three of us huffing up the switchbacks single file. I felt the pace was strong but not overwhelming. Again, it was a long race and I was determined not to blow it in the first few miles. After about ten minutes of running, I began to notice the efforts of our ascent by my tightening calves and heavy breathing as we chugged into thinner and thinner air. Realizing that I could walk at the pace we were running I gave my running muscles a break and did some walking in our little group. Eventually I moved ahead to help set the pace but instead, I began to open up some ground on the other two. I continued my little bouts of walking when I felt the terrain tilted up too much for me or I felt I was working to hard. Towards the summit, I was mostly walking (but don't worry, I was still sucking wind like an out of control vacuum cleaner). At the very top I glanced over my shoulder to see second place, Kevin, only 30 seconds or so behind.

At last, the hill was behind me and I let gravity start to run its course. I thought for sure Kevin would immediately catch me since I don't really classify myself as a pure trail runner. However, the thought of new shoes must have been some sort of catalyst because before I knew it I was absolutely bombing the descent. I was grabbing shrubs and branches with both hands trying to keep myself upright as I leapt over whole technical sections of the trail in an effort to keep my forward momentum rolling high. I ripped around the first switchback in a cloud of dust and was pretty much plowing through the shrubbery like a bulldozer when suddenly my foot struck something... I did my best imitation of superman here but failed miserably due to one simple fact, I can't fly. I landed square on my chest in a cloud of dust with both arms still raised completely above my head in the superman pose. I got up and thought for sure I broke my ribs and torn my chin open again, but as I surveyed the damage I was mostly just scratched up.

After the fall I slowed down to get my balance and confidence back and to see if Kevin would catch up so I would have someone to run with. But after a few minutes I regained my confidence and started bombing down the decent once more but this time remembering to pick my feet up. Down and down we went, switchback after switchback, mile after mile. I glanced at my watch after about an hour of racing expecting to be close to the bottom by then. "We should be there already" I thought. "How much more abuse can my legs take?" I could feel my legs approaching their limit of downhill running as I seemed to take a little longer going around the switchbacks. But as I rounded a corner the lake we were racing to came into view and HOLY MOLY!!! it was still a long ways down there. Eventually I reached the lake side but not before my legs and body were completely ravaged from racing 7 miles downhill loosing at least 3,200 vertical feet.

I only had 4.5 miles left but they were some of the hardest miles I can remember running. I had zero leg strength left but luckily there were no hills left either. I ran up on a guy who started the race early just to run it but not race it. His name was John and we chatted for a bit (which was me mostly whining to him about how much farther we had left). It was nice to have some feet to follow for a half mile or so. Eventually I ran on ahead and around the rest of the lake holding things together oh-so-delicately for the finish.

Brianne was there at the lakeside finish waiting and cheering for me. After finishing I had to sit there for about 10 minutes before I could get up. My legs were way beyond dead tired. I watched Kevin finish up in second and I thought I was the unlucky one for falling. Apparently falling is just part of trail running. Third place was bloodied and dirty too! It was definitely a battle out there! It's funny but I think I like trail running now. Maybe I should do another one... After my legs will function again of course.

Happy I'm still alive after eating some dirt for breakfast and more downhill running than I care to remember.

Hellooooo Utah

Okay I'll admit, I need to be more positive. Reading my last post it is evident that many of my updates are of me just wining. No one wants to read that! So here we go, A positive update!

It's official now. I live in Logan, Utah! Not in a million years did I ever think that I would live in Logan, Utah but here I am, ready to make the most of it. Brianne and I moved into a quiet apartment last week as she continues her research job and I am continuing to just look for a job. Logan is located in the beautiful Cache Valley at 4,500 feet so it resembles (to a degree) an alpine valley in the Alps. The Wasatch Mountains are to the west and the Naomi Wilderness is to the east. Throughout the valley and surrounding foothills are miles of quiet roads PERFECT for cycling.

I have a wonderful girlfriend who supports and encourages me to pursue my dream and make the most of it. Now I live in an area great for training and which is centrally located surrounded with other like minded people. Everything I sacrificed for so long is finally coming together. Although if I had a little source of income that would be nice. I will worry about that later...

I am not going to beat around the bush. I am here and I am ready to make the the move into triathlon's elite ranks. I know I have what it takes, it will just take some time to fine tune things that only come with experience. Already this week I have felt enormous changes in my cycling and my run. Just how much stronger I can get, I will find out this fall as I will jump into a couple Olympic triathlons and perhaps even a half-ironman. I cant decide on either the SOMA half-iron or the Austin 70.3. Stay updated as things can only improve from here. I am ready for the journey. Game on!

Cooling off in Beaver Creek, Utah after a run at 7,500 feet.

More Set Backs

I am not sure where to begin other than simply stating I am slightly angry. For the last six months I have been deep in thesis work up to my eyeballs. I knew these last months were going to be the toughest and I was literally told to put my other life passions (life) on hold. I knew all the chaos and hysteria associated with being a graduate student would not last forever so I buckled down, and proceeded to get to business. The sooner I finished, the sooner I would be free. I locked myself in my room with only journal articles, Microsoft Word, and my research results. It was a physical and emotional, long, dark, lonely, road to say the very least. I only appeared about three times a day to get food from the kitchen and maybe once more to go look at the tomato plants outside in the garden. Brianne left in early May and I was left to finish completely on my own. At that point I began loosing all concept of time and date. Seeing people and engaging in any kind of conversation was difficult due to my isolation. I began dreaming about my thesis too. The graphs and tables were always translucent shimmering pages that floated around my room and the worst part of all, none of the results were consistent! Then I would hear my advisor say in a deep slow tone (kind of like Darth Vader), "Adam..., what do these results mean to you?" It was awful. Meeting deadlines like that can not be good for your health.

Finally it was over. I finished my thesis. But my joy and relief was short lived because in exactly two weeks time, I would need to defend it. This was the finial of all finals. Anyone can do the work and write a paper but you also need to show that you know your shit too. In those last two weeks I studies my statistical print outs, journal articles, and potential responses to questions I would likely hear as if my life depended on it (which it kind of did). It all came down to this. My defense. I either pass, or don't. But ironically, throughout all those butterflies and mayhem the tiny little fire, as small as it was by then, was still burning for triathlons. Then, finally, after two years and catastrophic emotional trauma, I passed, I was free!

That very first weekend I did the Ruidoso Sprint Triathlon and had more fun than I ever remembered having in a triathlon. Although I still enjoy preforming well and kicking butt, my love for the sport now greatly outweighs my desire to be the next hot shot super star. It doesn't matter anymore to me. I just love to get out there with other motivated driven people and have a good time.

After the race I swam and ran a couple of times and rode a whole four days in a row. I felt fitness immediately flowing back into my muscles and I was getting seriously stoked for my new rediscovered life. Then, on the fifth bike ride something horrible happened. I got off the bike and my bum was burning as if a chile pepper went down the wrong tube. Nothing was relieving the pain and it was getting worse and worse. At the end of the day I was just about ready to go into the emergency room. I couldn't take it any longer. It turns out I have hemorrhoids. How the hell do I have hemorrhoids?! I am only 25 years old? Don't only old people get hemorrhoids? From what I gathered, sitting for long periods of time, a poor diet along with lots of coffee is the perfect remedy to fire up them hemorrhoids. Just what the life of a graduate student consists of.

So that's the story. I don't know what to do now. Riding the bike is just too painful, running is too risky (at the moment) but swimming is okay so long as I limit my leg movement. Hopefully things start looking up. At least I am done with school now. Its funny, I have all the time in the world finally but here I am, back on the old lap top typing away.

Ruidoso Sprint Triathlon

I decided to do this race about a week before it kicked off. Talking around with some Race Club friends it appeared that several of them were going to do it and encouraged me to sign up too. There was even a cool cabin I could stay in. The whole weekend sounded like loads of fun and I took the opportunity to register and kick of the tri-season! Unfortunately as race day drew closer I found out that everyone who was going to the race was abandoning ship like it was on fire. No way was I going to pull out of yet another triathlon because my friends were all getting a bad case of "cold feet". If I had to go alone and do it on my own I would. However, luckily Pietre and Deanna were still heading up to Ruidoso for a wedding and offered me a spot on the floor of their cabin. Their efforts over the weekend pretty much saved the day and allowed me to (surprisingly) have a good race.

New Mexico, I learned the other day, has the lowest percentage of open water of any State. This is the reason why the majority of triathlons here are done backwards. It is impossible for 200 people to start in a four lane 25 yard pool so we run first, then bike, then swim. I don't really like it in that order because I have to hold back so much on the run and by the time I get to the swim I am pretty well trashed. But it is what it is and everyone does the same thing.

The run began at 8:00am sharp and immediately everyone shot out of that starting area like a quarter mile nitromethane fueled drag race. I didn't want to use it as an excuse but seeing everyone take off like that and leave me in their dust I couldn't help but remember that in the last couple of months I could count the number of times I have biked or run on one hand. Yep, I was definitely in over my head this time.

The run was 3.5 miles long and around 7,000 feet in elevation (along with the rest of the course). After a half mile or so the run entered a single track trail which circles a beautiful little lake before returning to transition. Entering the single track trail, it seemed as if the race's level of fury dropped several notches. "Blast!" Everyone went out too fast as usual and now I am stuck behind them. That was okay, I didn't really mind, I needed to hold back anyway because I was unsure how biking at such elevation and on such noodle-like legs would work out. Each opportunity I got however, I went around a runner or two. No big aggressive moves, but I kept moving up throughout the whole run leg.

Close to the end of the run I inched up on this rather buff looking dude who was obviously working very hard. I hung back ten feet or so just watching and waiting for the transition to show. Suddenly this fellow just starts weaving all over the road and begins coughing. Then he slows and bends over at the side of the road allowing us to get a pretty good idea of what he had for breakfast. Although I am still a little unsure of what breakfast foods are green.

Finally the run was over. I ended up coming into transition around sixth or seventh but most importantly, I still felt pretty good. I was not breathing hard or cramping or having any regrets on what I ate for breakfast like my friend over there (who is my new hero by the way). I was excited to start the 10 mile bike section. The first half is almost completely up hill and the last half, a white knuckle screaming decent on windy mountain roads.

I passed two competitors soon after leaving transition and I appeared to be making up some ground. I didn't feel super strong but I felt aero after making some adjustments on the ol' Cervelo. Since this was a sprint and the first five miles were completely up hill I couldn't waste time if I wanted to gain more ground. I adjusted myself back into aero position, put my head down, and dug my legs into the pedals causing my hamstrings to scream mercy and calves to burn. When the discomfort became too great, I got out of the saddle for twenty or so revolutions. I looked behind me a couple of times expecting the entire world to show up and proceed to give me a nice spanking, but luckily they didn't. At the turn around the two lead riders were right there but the fact that the course was now a descent meant I could not use the hill to my advantage. I would have to bank on my aero-position, and my ability to read the road and it's tangents to make up more time. I closed on second place, Bobby Gonzales from El Paso, TX, quickly but I noticed he had a bigger chain-ring in front than I did because when I would spin out he could keep hammering. We were both ripping the decent at 45 miles per hour but I slowly began opening up some distance. Close to the bottom I managed to catch two cars and rather than wait behind them, I took my chances and passed them. Yeah, I'll admit it, passing cars made me feel like a bad ass. Coming into transition I accidentally took a detour around the town of Ruidoso, NM adding a little extra distance to the bike leg but it wasn't bad. I was overall, very pleased with my bike.

Oh yeah, now the 400 yard swim. Crap! But before that, I managed to pull of yet another famous Blalock transition (i.e. slowest transition ever by not removing my feet from the shoes before hopping off, rooting around in my bag for the goggles, struggling to get my sticky bike jersey off etc...). Bobby, just behind me, of course was lickity split in transition and also, probably did not detour the town before getting off the bike. Thus, that time I had amassed on the bike was pretty much negated during transition. I ran to the pool feeling like I had slinkies for legs and without wasting any more time, jumped right in. "Wait wait wait!" yelled the volunteers. "You have start from the other side of the pool." Right then, Bobby ran by me. "Arrggh!" I said to myself. "I had a good bike ride, I don't feel like fighting for it that bad, I'm done." I slogged through the 200 yards of hell feeling every muscle fiber in my body ripping and shredding with fatigue, then, because the pool was so small, you get out, run around, and swim the 200 yards again. Fun fun fun!

I ended up coming in third. It was a great way to kick off finishing my thesis and the start of summer and my triathlon season. On paper I was listed as being first however. Then during awards I was called out as taking second. What happened to the leader? It was a little strange. But the best part of all, I got a bear carving! I normally don't like trophies but this one was pretty neat. You just can't beat locally made crafts. Especially a bear!

Happy to finally be back on the bike. (Photo by Joe Coakley.)

I got a bear!

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

I traveled to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument alone for the Memorial Day weekend. I brought my camera, a little food, a lot of water and a journal. During this adventure, I took some notes about this amazing place as well as my thoughts. I recommend everyone doing this once in a while (i.e. spend some time truly alone in solitude). You can really learn a lot about yourself. Most of my thoughts are just ramblings and don't have any meaning what so ever, but some of my thoughts surprised me.

May 27.

So here I am, sitting in my underwear sweating to death at 10:30pm. I have finally settled down in my tent and I am going to try this journal thing. The camp here at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (OPCNM) is huge, but for all the 200+ sites it is just me and someone else farther up. I arrived here about an hour before the sun set, ate cold oatmeal, then after the sun set, I tried to find some organ pipe and saguaro cacti blooming...

...I got completely spooked walking around in the dark. My idea of taking a stroll down this primitive path looking for cacti blooms, snakes, tarantulas, Gila monsters, or anything that comes out after dark proved to be just a little to spooky for me. I was just fine for a while but then all of a sudden, I started thinking about mountain lions. Never ever hike alone in mountain lion country, especially in the dark. "Hey! guess what I'm doing?" From then on every little rustle and twig I hit with my tripod nearly gave me a heart attack. I get so scared of the dark sometimes.

When I was figuring out what to cook I realized I forgot matches or a lighter. Idiot! I tried to light a piece of paper on fire using the cigarette lighter in the car but all I could manage was a smouldering mess. I even tried using a few drops of Coleman fuel to see if that would get the spark to kick over. Failure! I actually felt pretty disappointed I couldn't get a flame going.

So tomorrow should be nice I will go drive around and take pictures and try to stay cool. In other words, I will just do whatever I want. It will be a nice break from my Las Cruces life. Yeah I'm having fun but deep down I wish Brianne was here. Sharing these things with someone makes the experience just that much better.

May 28.

Sleeping alone in the desert was new for me. (And when I mean alone I mean alone. The only other person I knew about was that camper about a quarter mile up the road.) After I spooked myself silly last night hiking around in the dark, sleep was tough. I woke up several times thinking something was stalking my tent. Then, suddenly, I heard footsteps! I wasn't imagining it this time! Something was definitely snooping around out there! Unfortunately I was in that paralyzed state where I couldn't move but I was aware of everything around me. Yes, I hear footsteps! No question about it! All I could do, being paralyzed and all, was whisper (gibberish probably), wiggle just slightly, and rub my foot against the side of the tent. The mountain lion that was about to eat me was probably laughing and thinking "how cute, he is having a puppy dream... I hope he catches the rabbit." But really I was not having a dream. I was fighting for the words to yell, and save my life. Then, suddenly and without any warning I snapped out of my paralysis. It began slowly and quietly as my sleepiness wore off but across the quiet desert plain you could hear me yell from my tent "...mmmmmMMMMRRRRRAAAAAA!!!" I don't know why I didn't just yell "Hey!" or "Get" but my wailing seemed to do the trick because I never herd it again.

That first day after I pitched the tent, I placed it on the gravel that had been sitting in the sun for weeks so it was pretty warm to say the least. I read that the ground in OPCNM gets up to 175 degrees during the day. The air was cooling off nicely by my back was sweating profusely from trying to sleep on lava. Hopefully the next night the ground will cool slightly.

There are so many wonderful birds and calls happening right now. A second ago this band (technically a flock right?) went hopping through the brush about a foot from me. They appeared so curious and intelligent. They were small too, like mice with beaks and about the same color.

Well the sun is coming out and I am starting to get excited. I have four cacti I want to see here in OPCNM before I leave:

1. Organ Pipe
   
2. Saguaro
3. Senita
4. Queen of the Night
   

Blast! I got back from hiking the 4.5 mile Victoria Mine trail but I didn't find a Senita or Queen of the Night cactus. The saguaros and organ pipe cacti are everywhere. I wish I could find a Queen of the Night cactus! I probably looked like a homeless man going through garbage cans looking for tin cans, but instead with dead shrubbery and a silly cactus. Its getting hot again so I draped the quilt over the top of my tent to provide me with the only shade in the area. If there's a breeze blowing I'm okay but its pretty calm at the moment. Its only 10:30am and its starting to heat up nicely. I'm sweating just sitting here in the shade. If it gets too unbearable I may go hang out in the visitors center or go for a drive with my AC on.

11:00am. I have been laying down for 30 minutes and it's way too hot to nap. I think I'm going to check out the visitors center.

Got back from the visitors center and driving around. Sleep was impossible! I was just sweating up a storm. As long as I am going to sweat and be miserable I might as well be seeing the sights and taking pictures. The lady at the visitors center said I could either go into Mexico or the off limits area of the park to see the Senita cacti. Neither was an option. Rats! She didn't help much either on suggesting ways to find a Queen of the Night cactus. She did say they were very well camouflaged and looked like dead sticks. Duh, that's why I'm always in the shrubbery getting scratched and entangled with spiders. Check out the pictures I took of one of the Queen of the Night cacti in their garden of you don't believe me.

So the drive was nice. Not too exciting. I didn't really see anything new. I did see a blooming agave though. That was pretty exciting if your a nut like me. Then I started seeing familiar things I saw when I was here with Brianne over a year ago. I sure do think about her all the time. I can't understand how she thinks I've moved on already. How can that be if I'm here alone and every little thing reminds me of her. I think how much she would enjoy this trip. She is such a trooper, one to always jump at the chance of an adventure...

...It's funny, maybe funny isn't the right word, but going on these little trips alone with only your thoughts really lets you see what is important in your life. Take away all the little distractions and you are left with the top most important things in your life. Hey! this is good! I am going to list the top, most important things in my life and then try to rank them:

1. Brianne
2. Triathlon
3. Plants
4. Cycling
5. Running
6. Mom and Dad
7. Quiet alone time
8. Friends
9. Living healthy
   
10. Simple life
11. Pictures
12. Weather
13. Getting this damn fly buzzing in my face to leave me alone
14. Swimming
15. Warm sunny weather
16. Canoeing
17. Being satisfied
18. Traveling
19. Ocean/Waves/Surfing (even though I don't surf I think I would really like it.)
    
20. Dogs
21. Details
22. Waterfalls
23. Music
24. Socializing
25. Getting a masters (I feel I am supposed to say this because I have been brainwashed for so long into believing a masters is EVERYTHING!)

Okay, so I will end there. Some of them are pretty tangible and real like Brianne or riding my bike but others like being satisfied are difficult to describe and rank. Being satisfied is important but how can you rank it compared to something like dogs...

...Whoa! the pop tart I placed on the ground for about 20 minutes while writing is completely covered in ants. Man these guys are quick. Hungry too...

...But I don't have to be an athlete. I don't want to stay in Las Cruces and start training, I want to go see Brianne. But after I see Brianne I will want to start training. It is hard to rank the top three. Can I have all three in a package deal?

Dang its hot! I wish the sun would hurry up and set so it wouldn't be so blasted uncomfortable.

It's 7:20pm and the three bird band is back! This camp robber bird also came by a moment ago and hopped around looking for something to eat I think. It took a good long look at the book of matches (this couple up the road was kind enough to let me have) sitting on my plate, ruffled its feathers, and looked at me likely thinking, "You are boring and more importantly, don't have anything to eat." Then it flew away.

I also took a quick shower in the bathroom. It felt wonderful! But I did feel kind of guilty doing it in one of the hottest and driest places in the world.

May 29

Luckily this most recent night wasn't nearly as scary as the first night. Maybe it's because I talked with that couple down the road for some matches and I at least knew someone knew where I was... or something. But the evenings in the desert are magical. As soon as the sun sets, temperatures cool off, critters come out to play, and the sky changes from orange to pink to purple. Then the stars come out. check out my pictures. I actually got some pretty good shots of the Milky way. I even managed to "catch" some shooting stars and I never even saw a single one. Even when I was looking for them. Goes to show my camera is super bad ass! I awoke about 2:00am to go pee and I could see the Milky Way much better so I said "What the heck", grabbed my camera and tripod and proceeded to take pictures of the sky standing in my underwear. Good thing the border patrol didn't drive by like they did last night when I was trying to "shoot" stars. Yeah! so this truck pulled up right where I was taking star pictures and proceeded to intimidate me with their overly bright flood lights and walkie-talkies while I was just standing in the dark. I politely waved, pretending to be excited to see them, then put my hands on my hips and waited for them to: 1) Drive away; 2) Come talk to me; 3) Come yell me; 4) Come cuff me and take me away at gun point. Luckily they drove away.

Now I'm just sitting here at my camp deciding what to do. I have already driven the entire park and hiked most of it. Finding out that the Senita cacti and Queen of the Night cacti are impossible to find (unless you look at planted ones in the visitors center). My drive and motivation to stick around is dwindling. Plus hanging out in 100 degree weather with no shade or real shelter isn't much fun. Let's just say my tan has never looked so good. Hellooooooooo leather skin!

It is happening again Brianne uses a word to describe old feelings of happiness brought on by current experiences that remind you of of those times. I just ate a bowl of oatmeal and made instant coffee. For some reason that reminded me of the times of camping at Priest Lake, Idaho with Dad. Especially in the morning. I think it is the warm sun and solitude. In the morning those things are really noticeable. Those sure were fun times, hiking up to the rock slides, canoeing up to Upper Priest Lake via the thoroughfare, taking a hike to Frog Pond, going huckleberry picking, riding my mt. bike on obscure logging roads in the mountains, and seeing all the wildflowers. Not to mention the crystal clear water... something I miss sometimes. Even though my surroundings are strikingly different, they strangely remind me of Northern Idaho. Maybe I am homesick. From what Brianne and I have been talking about, I think she would think Priest Lake was thee coolest place in the world. At least Priest Lake back in the 90's before it became a popularity contest. I wonder how it looks now? Probably pretty disappointing with all the boats, jet skies and nonstop noise.

The camp robber bird just came back looking for stuff again and was followed by a woodpecker and then the tiny hummingbird I haven't mentioned yet. All three were were just watching me checking me out. "What's this all about" I said, "are you trying to tell me something?" I guess being alone all the time you start talking to things like they understand. Still no sign of the three bird band by the way. They have visited me every morning and evening since I have been here.

Just got back in a last ditch effort to find a Queen of the Night cactus. I failed again. They are out there somewhere but I can't find any. Thus, I have decided to leave. I have seen the majority of the accessible parts of the park. Even though I really don't want to, I should get back so I can start organizing myself for the defense on June 7.

Driving back will be interesting I'm sure. The border war activity and drug smuggling is out of control right now. I will have to pass through two checkpoints on the way back. I hope they don't interrogate me too much but they probably will. I always get so nervous going through security. I'm a young white male traveling alone in a beat up truck with expired license plates. When they ask me what I was doing I will honest tell them, "I was camping alone in the desert on the border of Mexico officer". I bet I get a lot of crap for that statement. But It's not like I have anything to hide...

A blooming Agave.

The Sonora desert in the Ajo Mountains.

An Organ Pipe Cactus.

Another Organ Pipe Cactus.

Can you find the Queen of the Night Cactus? I couldn't, and didn't...

Back in Full Force!

The power of the 'stache will soon reign again.

The Yard

The tomatoes and peppers on the drip hose. All the plants have green tomatoes on them! The broccoli and dead peas are on the brick wall and if you look real close you can see the watermelon plant in the far left. Oh yeah, that pile of dead sticks is from the oleander that nearly froze to death this winter.


The screened porch. It's not obvious I only water the flower bed is it?


Here is sweet potato experiment I tried. I wanted to see if I could grow one by simply sticking a tuber half way into the soil. Sure enough it worked. And it looks pretty interesting too.


The back yard. Living in a warm climate is pretty nice sometimes. The tomatoes and peppers are in the back right corner. That leaning tree is a mimosa, it has incredibly fragrant flowers that look like pink puff balls.

Twelve Days

I really shouldn't be here right now wasting more time but here I am. I have exactly 12 days left to finish my thesis and 26 days until I defend it. I am pretty stoked to be done and begin doing things I love again. Obviously triathlons are where my attention and efforts will be put to use in about a months worth time. Yes I am pretty excited to be swimming biking and running again. I suppose I am just like every other crazy triathlon nut case out there, completely obsessed. It doesn't help that everyone is always badgering me to train with them and invite me to participate in cool trips and events they organize. Honestly, I am honored and I guess privileged I have so many fans (even if they are all my closest friends). Just the other week, for example, I was sent a personal invitation to attend a local sprint triathlon free of charge! Unbelievable! Unfortunately my schedule is pretty crazy and I am not sure where I will be the next month. Still it was a wonderful gesture.

On a different and slightly more sour note, I have lost two loves in my life. The first one (and of less importance) was my Pinarello road bike. It was stolen off of my back porch a few weeks ago. I had been keeping it inside all along but I rode it a few times and left it on the porch to keep our house a little tidier (not that is matters, our house is always dirty). Well one morning it was gone. I thought it was some sick joke at first. They also took my stationary trainer and my room mates commuter. Not cool! At the very least I hope the people who end up with it realize what a nice bike it is and are enjoying it our on the open road as I would.

My second loss is Brianne. She landed a job in Winthrop, Washington and will not becoming back to Las Cruces... ever! We had a nice little road trip on the way to Washington. We actually drove from Albuquerque, NM to Spokane, WA in one shot! It was the farthest I've ever driven all at once and I hope I don't have to do it ever again. But she is gone and my life is pretty insignificant now. I need to get done already and start living opposed to sitting in front of this computer all day. Only twelve more days.

My beautiful bike, gone, rest her soul.

Spring In Southern New Mexico

Its March and time for spring down here in southern New Mexico. When I remember back to my northwest roots, spring didn't really officially arrive for me until the first week of May. I say the first week of May because that is typically the time we got out last frost (although sometimes it was in July and it even snowed in June once). But here in Las Cruces we are past our last frost for the season which is March 11th. That is pretty remarkable considering where I came from!

So the weather is warming up and the trees are beginning to bloom. Robins are singing now in the evening and things are generally looking up. There are only three days left until spring break and I am getting a little antsy about getting out of town and having another adventure. Brianne and I are once again planning on heading over to southern California to check out some places we have both been wanting to see.

If everything goes according to plan we will stop at Sequoia National Park and see the largest trees on Earth. Then we may head west some more to the coastal area to check out San Louis Obispo where I am interested in living if I can and see the botanical gardens. Finally we will make a stop in Los Angeles to meet Brianne's old friend and possibly see the local sights.

In the next 10 days or so lots will be happening and I'm sure I will find an adventure or two along the way. Then after spring break, there are only 4 weeks left in the semester and then no more classes for me ever EVER again. I should be wrapping up my thesis sometime in the next couple of months and then its time to get back to business and pick up where I left off (triathlon, gardening, mowing the lawn etc...). I am so excited! I can't wait to see what the next chapter will bring.

First Swim Baby!

Yes it is official. I finally made it to the pool to do some actual swimming. The last time I did that was way back in September before the Elephantman Olympic Triathlon. Well, you might be asking the question, "Why in the world did it take me so long to get back into the pool?" There are really a couple of answers I can give you but one big one finally pushed me over the edge. Here are my reasons:

First, I had taken so much time off because I was very tired of always getting in trouble for not completing my work in school. Pissing people off (including yourself) does not feel very good day after day.

Second, I had taken so much time off because swimming is not really that important in triathlons anyway. Okay it is but it isn't. At some of my races I would greatly out split some people in the water only to be destroyed by them on the bike and run. Yes swimming is important but I needed to improve elsewhere.

Third, I had taken so much time off from swimming because I just wanted to run again. I remembered back to my high school days and how much I enjoyed running. I didn't really like racing but I really liked the training aspect of running. It is somewhat of a spiritual awakening to finish a long trail run in the warm glowing afternoon sun.

Last, the major reason I finally went to the pool was because I am tired of just running. It is funny because that is exactly what I wanted when I just started running but now I am pretty tired of it. I know I will never be a super fast runner. I will just have to live with this. I can run a pretty serious pace for a long time but I just can't pound out five minute miles for a stupid 5k. In my mind I wanted and felt like I could run really fast but seeing that I am no closer to doing this now after training my ass off than I was in high school (or even after a 56 mile bike time trial) I quickly lost motivation.

I have learned that my talent for triathlon isn't in fast running or fast swimming or even in fast bike riding. I am just not a fast person. My talent lies in my ability to not slow down when I am very tired. That is something I think I have over most. Rather than focus on one sport to get faster I should focus more on strength and efficiency to make me faster. That is why I think it is time for me to get back in the pool and start mixing things up a bit. Plus I kind of miss my blond hair.

A Trip to Tucson

This will be just a quick little update on last weeks trip to Tucson, AZ. It was the day before Valentine's Day and Brianne was wondering if I wanted to do a relay race with her and we could compete with all the other couples. I agreed and it sounded like fun. We knew we would destroy everyone. After all, I did volunteer to drive so I might as well have a go at the race. Once we arrived at the race start, the relay Brianne and I were hoping to do wasn't exactly what we were thinking. It was your standard multisport relay. For example, one person swims and the other runs. But neither of us wanted to do one or the other so we would just have to do the whole thing separate.

The swim was 825 meters in the U of A's amazing outdoor competition pool with your transition to the run just there on the pool deck in front of your lane. Brianne was in the lane next to me and her main goal for the swim was to lap me. Once we were swimming I felt good and smooth for about the first oh... 75 meters and them my "runner arms" said,

"What the heck are you trying to do to us?! You haven't used us since September! Why should we work for you?!"

And then Brianne lapped me.

After the race both Brianne and I learned we swam an additional 50 meters. The lap counters where yelling at us to stop swimming but it is hard for us to hear them underwater. I was actually just following Brianne because she was ahead of me but she must have been so focused on lapping me she just kept on swimming until she lapped me. And I just kept following. So hahah Brianne, I guess you didn't lap me after all. Oh well.

I got out of the water and actually felt pretty good for not swimming more than a lap in five months. I took the time to tie my shoes, then double knot, and then tuck my laces in just like I've always done. I probably had the slowest transition out of everybody. It took me a couple of minutes and close to a mile to catch Brianne. She was moving pretty good and we exchanged words a couple of times throughout the run course. We finished in front of the pool where we started and were greeted by some sorbet ice cream and cookies. The U of A triathlon club really put on a great event.

After the race Brianne, Abby, and I explored a little bit in Saguaro National Park before making the drive back to Las Cruces. Tucson is such a wonderful city. I can't wait until the next time.

Purplepatch Training Camp

It was months ago when I first saw a link posted on triathlete Lindsy Corbin's facebook wall that gave up and coming triathletes a chance to train with Matt Dixon and his Purplepatch athletes such as Chris Lieto. If you have read any of my past entries I have only been running because it is so much easier to do than swim bike AND run but I thought, "What do I have to lose?" I sent in my race results and a little bio at the last possible moment and pretty much put it out of my mind until... I got a phone call from an unknown number about a week ago.

After I answered the phone Mr. Dixon introduced himself as the coach of the Purplepatch athletes using his awesome British accent. Immediately my heat started pounding and I had to do my best at restraining myself from jumping around the room in pure excitement and disbelief. Unbelievably I was one of the final five or six renaming athletes in contention to go train with the big dogs. We chatted for a little bit about athletic background, goals, and what I wanted to get out of the camp. But when the question came up about what races I was planning on doing this year, all I could come up with was, "I don't know." I have already had to pull out of three triathlons in the past year because of school and such so I am just going to bide my time for now until school is over, I said for the most part. A week after this interview (this past Monday) and as I was gearing up for my full triathlon comeback, I got the dreadful email saying, "thanks for your interest in Purplepatch Training Camp but our selection has already been made." Noooooooooooooooo...

But I have to keep telling myself that I had nothing to lose. My running is getting stronger and stronger and I am excited to see how my new running regime will shine come later this spring. Also, graduate school will not last forever, graduate school will not last for ever, graduate school will not last forever... Soon it will be all over and then I can return to my true passion, triathlon, and beat the pants off of that slow poke Chris Lieto.

Progress is Imminent

I did a 5k race on Sunday which is the real reason for posting. I feel life has returned to the boring and mundane dimension once school started up again but now I actually have something to talk about. This spring semester will likely be just as busy as my last semester however, instead of all the stressful deadlines and chores one must do for "TA-ing" two classes I now mostly have just writing to do. I have just started my thesis. Hopefully it wont take too long so I can get out of here and start living...

The 5k I ran was to benefit the NMSU Kinesiology club. They really did a wonderful job organizing it and putting it on. I kept in mind my running goals but also remembered I had not set any for a 5k. I have never been able to truly race a 5k fast (according to me and the other distances) so rather than beating a dead horse I made goals for other distances. Nevertheless, I still wanted to run fast.

I set off at my usual slow start pace allowing my friend Jeffry Oxford and a dozen or more runners to swarm around me and pull away. Sure enough by about 800m into the race most everyone had dropped back. I passed my friend Robert Mercer for third place close to the first mile marker as I was trying to pick up the pace with each stride. Eventually I was all alone in third place and two of the NMSU cross country runners were a good 20 seconds ahead.

Between miles one and two I tried hard to reel them back in but running was their thing, and I knew that their pacing was probably rock solid. They didn't gain any ground on me in the middle miles and, for a while, I though they would falter and let me get a little closer. But they didn't falter, they were just too strong. After the two mile marker (estimating, there were no mile markers) it was all down hill to the finish. Turning the corner I looked behind me (something you should never ever do in a 5k) and seeing no one, and seeing the leaders not coming back to me I kind of gave up chase. Sure I ran really really hard but not having anything chase you or having anything to chase the fire and last few gears where saved for another day.

I crossed the line and looked at my watch. I was pretty stoked. I was only 10 seconds off of my all time 5k PR and I had not done any kind of speed, hills, or strength. Brianne too had a goal of running 21 minutes and she did that like *snap*!!! Be proud and enjoy your accomplishments. You work so hard.