getting a jumpstart on 2011 & going with the flow
Happy be-lated Thanksgiving!
what i am most thankful for? this lil monster! it’s almost been a year of being married to her and we’re just getting started!
Saturday afternoon after a fun mellow ride I pulled the plug on heading up to Glendale on Sunday to race… instead of prepping the bikes and gear Beth and I went out got a christmas tree. I was just really enjoying the holiday weekend and just felt like staying at home ALL weekend. I actually can’t remember when there was a weekend with out a race and/or road trip somewhere. Also, as Ryan reminded me, traffic on the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the worst… and the Bolts game started at 530pm, race was at 3, which meant there would be now way I would be home in time…. too many good reasons to stay at home.
I have been super busy! With cyclocross season in full swing, our trip to Kona, and starting a new job I haven’t had much time to update my blog with anything other than race reports… and I know that gets boring. After Steelhead back at the end of July I haven’t really been to focused training and racing wise. I feel like I kind of got an early start to the offseason. Even though I started working with Dirk my schedule has been loose and all about prep for next year and tackling Ironman and some 70.3′s. I don’t really do any specific prep for cross other than ride my bikes as much as possible. I know there’s going to come a time, very soon, when the IM training is going to get serious and I will be ready. I think not forcing anything right now is what I need to do to ensure I don’t get burned out.
I have been riding a bunch, but nothing long (I can’t remember the last time I rode more than 50 miles or 3 hours), i have been running, but nowhere near the volume I was putting in getting ready for Steelhead, and swimming whenever I have time (not too often). One thing I have been committed to and consistent with is strength training with the help of Bryan and the crew at Rehab United.
In past years I have always got a “late” start to hitting the gym. I usually stopped racing in the fall and wouldn’t really get back in the gym until december or January. This year is different. With out any late season racing (other than cross) I have been back consistently working out at RU since mid august.
it’s working… I can’t remember when I have felt this strong and I have actually packed on 5+ lbs to my scrawny frame. I don’t think I have ever been this motivated in the gym. Bryan has our “crew” working hard twice a week and it’s not all about getting yoked! A lot of what we do is injury prevention and strengthening muscle groups most people don’t really think about or neglect. Beth and I both started working at Rehab United last winter and have trained more in the past year than we ever have before… and INJURY FREE! If you are not in the gym doing the “right stuff” you are blowing it!
so with some big goals for next year and tackling some longer racing I KNOW I am doing the right thing right now.
So instead of racing this weekend I hit the trails… on foot and on my mountain bike. I headed out and ran at the Ranch with a bunch of friends, came home, stuffed my face with some t-day leftovers and then headed out to hodges for a mellow, single track spin. after the morning the rain the conditions were perfect. So stoked I stayed home!
and then… i got to watch the Bolts dominate the Colts and once again make Peyton Manning their bitch! (sorry for the bad language, but there’s really no other way to put it)… oh yeah… a good SD brewed IPA always hits the spot during a Bolts victory.
we are heading to sin city this weekend for some running and good times with good friends… can’t wait… i just gotta get through some brain smashing/numbing training first!
SCPS #12 & #13 Race Reports
Such a rad weekend… On Saturday morning I met up with Ryan and Jason and we headed north to race, Saturday in Los Olivos, and then Ventura on Sunday. The forecast was for rain all weekend and we definitely hit a lot driving up on Saturday but by the time we got to the course it had stopped and the sun was coming out.
The course was rad. The guys from Stump Grinder Dirt Club did an awesome job putting together a killer course. It was definitely one of the best I have ever raced on. The early rain followed by sunny skies and wind left buffed out single track that was fun and fast.
Saturday was a solid race for me. I had a pretty good start but couldn’t quite get to the break when the top 5 got away. I battled the rest of the race and was able to hold on to 6th. I was pretty stoked with the effort and the way I raced on the day. My technical/bike handling skills are definitely improving… perfect timing since the season is almost over.
Jason had a solid race too with a 4th in Cat 3 and unfortunately Ryan broke his chain 20+ minutes into the race (getting too strong… Drunk Hulk Power!). After the race we checked into out hotel in Solvang, got cleaned, and then did something I have been wanting to do for way too long…. We headed to Firestone Walker Taproom! They have been one of my favorite breweries for a long time. I love their Union Jack IPA and this was my chance to try Double Jack (DIPA) for the first time… it definitely didn’t let us down.
the happy couple.
after tasting the Double Jack it was on 25oz mugs of Union Jack… long overdue!
we kept the good times rolling at a wine bar in Solvang that had bottle of Green Flash Imperial… good times! Jason living the dream! I was also able to get my hands on some killer wines for the holidays.
after probably too much “fun” we walked back to the hotel and rested up for another day of racing.
We woke to rain in Solvang but by the time we got to the Lake Casitas in Ventura the sun was blazing, but it was pretty chilly and the wind was howling off the lake.
SCPS #13 Convert CX
a big field of fast guys showed up on Sunday for one of the best races of the year. the course in Ventura is super fun and has a bit of everything…. technical corners, mud, a run up, stairs, and some straights to hammer.
SCPS #10 Long Beach CX
saturday’s race was a rough one for me. Beth and I headed north late Saturday morning for stop number 10 of the SCPS at El Dorado Park in Long Beach. i felt good warming up, on the line, sitting right behind Brent, but then got caught behind a crash right before the first set of barrires and the leaders (top 10) got a way. I chased for another lap and a half and then rode solo for the rest of the race. 4 more , long laps, solo… on a bumpy course… not that fun!
I finished in 11th and am just going to chalk it up to a solid training day.
Right now I am sitting right outside the top 10 in the points and hoping to get back in the top 10 after this coming weekend with races on Saturday and Sunday up north.
Other than cross racing things are going very well and I am starting to get the itch to start my Ironman training. My new TT bike should be ready by the end of the week and in December it’s on! On the run side of things I am dialing it up a bit right now. on 12/5 I will be running the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon. I set my 13.1 PR back there in 2008 with a 1:13:50 and finished 4th overall in the half. I don’t think I can even get close to that right now. Up until last week and I hadn’t really done anything hard or fast running wise in quite a while so we will see how a month of prep goes. I am feeling fit and strong from the all the riding and work at Rehab United so I planning on nailing. It should be a fun weekend in Vegas with a bunch of friends heading for the race.
Last week was San Diego Beer Week and I got out to Aleshouse for some good times with Gordon, Toby, and Airey. Check out Toby’s run report… he just ran the the Grand Canyon. Gnar!
other than that I am just loving this fall weather. cool/cold nights and epic, sunny weather during the day. The cold nights and the early darkness makes we want to get back in the kitchen and do work. hopefully in the next couple of weeks and I can post more than just race reports… i know they get kind of boring…
lobster and shrimp salad…
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About Me
multisport athlete with an emphasis on fun and going fast.
I also coach a handful of athletes. I have raced just about everything and worked with many talented coaches. I have had success in Xterra, Cyclocross, cycling, mountain bike racing, road triathlon (70.3 & IM), and running races. I am ready to work with motivated athletes and help them crush their own dreams!
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