It's that time of year!

-Carmel Beach...what an amazing place!

It's that time of year when I take a break from training. Since the Xterra season is so long, beginning in April and ending the last weekend of October, it is necessary to take a 2 week break. When I say break I mean NO training, just relaxing and doing all the things that I normally don't have time for or don't do because your day is filled with work (the day job) and training.
If I don't take a break I will lose my edge, physically and mentally. My body will stop responding to the stresses of training. I may stay in good shape but I won't be in GREAT shape when I need to be...I will become stagnant, which is not what an athlete needs. This may sound funny to a lot of people. Think of it this way, if you did something day in day out that requires extreme focus and dedication don't you think you would get tierd of it and put in suboptimal performances as time progresses? If you say no, your not telling the truth!


-Sophie has a bit of an addiction with the tennis ball

So, this time of year is a great time! The weather is perfect and Jess, Sophie and I get to take advantage of the free time. With this being said, you will see us relaxing at Carmel Beach (The dogs favorite hangout), Big Sur (a very cool pub down there where all the locals get drunk...quite a scene!), Baja Cantina (the perfect patio for an afternoon margarita/beer), the Running Iron (Carmel Valley's local watering hole), Giant's games, and doing anything else we can think of.


-Nothing like a BBQ in the back country of Big Sur!


-Me and my buddy Mike sharing a couple beers in Big Sur.

So, for the next 10 days I will be getting "out of shape" and doing as much relaxing as physically possible. I will be back training July 1st. My first two weeks will be long easy miles to get the body back on track and then I will be hitting it hard in prep for nationals and world's.

Enjoy the great weather! I will be in touch.

Xterra East Championships--Richmond, VA

June 17th I competed in the Xterra East Championships. I was really excited to go back East to visit my family and race against the top pros in the sport. The course is very unique in that it takes place in downtown Richmond. It has a definate urban feel but the bike runs through tons of great, technical single-track. Overall, I loved the course and will be back next year! We stayed with my cousin Whit and her husband Dave...sooooo much hospitality! Thanks guys, when you come out to California we will repay you!
In the days leading up to the race I was lucky enough to pre-ride/run/swim the course with Cody Waite (1st year pro), James Walsh and Tom O'brien...all great guys that made the trip a ton of fun. Checking out the course prior to the race is critical given how technical the course is.


We swam in a river that was filled with boulders and sand bars (you literally run at times), the bike course weaves through super tight trails lined with millions of trees and rocks, and the run just beats you down b/c it is so hot (95 degrees). Up until this race I felt like I hadn't had a bad Xterra race (okay, nationals last year was pretty bad but that was at altitude so I wrote that one off). Let's just say I blew up big time on the run and lost my chance for top overall amateur and a high placing. I haven't hit the wall that bad in a VERY long time!



Here is what happen...I lost one of my energy gels on the bike so I didn't take in enough fuel during the ride. Plus, like an idiot, I didn't have any calories in my water bottles. So, your probably thinking, how can a guy that has done triathlon for so long make mistakes like this? I question this myself but I did make the mistake and, as a result, I fell victim to my worst race in a long time. I will say, I worked very hard on my bike during the off-season and it is paying off b/c I put in a solid ride and I am happy with my progress. The sad thing is that I am in the best running shape of my life and if I had taken in enough calories during the race I feel that I could have laid down a fast run split.
So, lesson learned. I have figured out a good mixture for my race day water bottles and I now realize that I need to stash one extra gel in transition and take it with me on the run.



All-in-all, I had a great time and I am really happy that Jess joined me for this adventure. I also believe that as an athlete you have to make these kind of mistakes to become better. I know I will be a stronger, smarter athlete as a result of my mistake in Richmond. In looking back a things I think I could have raced 4 minutes faster. I should have swam at least 1 minute faster but the swim was ridiculous (chaos--poorly marked, poor direction, course cutting, etc.) and I should have run 3 minutes faster. Oh well, hind-sight is 20/20 and I can assure you that next year I will be back in Richmond for redemption!


--Notice the huge Pacifico Beer bottle in the background--What a great sponsor!

A new way to follow my adventures as an XTERRA triathlete

Hi everyone!
I have decided to start a blog so that everyone that is interested can follow my adventures as a triathlete. So, keep your eyes peeled for some future entries regarding my recent race in Richmond and my upcoming race in Lake Tahoe.