Happy New Year

Well, today marks the last day of 2008 and what a year it was. Perhaps the biggest year of my life in terms of change. 2008 provided some struggles but, in the end, Jess and I came out on top and are moving closer to our dreams. Bring on 2009...it's going to be a great year, I have NO doubt!

Training has been going well. I got in a masters session, a trail run and a trainer session yesterday. Today I logged another masters workout (up in north county b/c UCSD is closed) and got in a fun mountain bike ride. It felt great to be back on the trails as I have been away from my mountain bike for almost two weeks. I am actually feeling pretty good in the water...let's just say that I am swimming faster now then I did all year last year and I haven't even done that much intensity in the pool (I am doing some different things this year and they are no doubt helping, the results have been rapid and obvious). Some good'ol hardwork in the pool in 2009 and we will see what kind of times I can post...I just can't keep swimming the way I have been for the last couple years (ie. way too slow!), change is coming =) The next few days involve some longer rides with Luke, a buddy of mine down here and some runs. UCSD opens back up this saturday so I will hit the pool over the weekend

The rest of the day is all about enjoying this great S.D. weather with Jess and the dog. We are heading to the beach and then we will find something exciting to do close to home.


--I have had some questions about wetsuits recently. I am lucky enough to be swimming in an Xterra Vendetta, which is the fastest, most flexible and most boyant wetsuit I have ever worn. If you need a new wetsuit or just want to swim faster contact Xterra and pick one up!

--Oh, we are making bread these days with this breadmaker...amazing! It is my new addiction =)

Have a good one everyone and have a good 2009!

Quick update

We are in San Luis Obispo right now and have been for the last few days. We are heading back to S.D. today...I really can't wait to get back home.
I have been gone for a couple weeks now and I need to get back to a normal routine. My 9 day "isolationist" training camp went well. I got in some great swims, rides and runs and my motivation went through the roof. After my training camp Jess and I went up to Sacramento for Xmas. We had fun with family and, overall, it was a pretty mellow holiday. On the 26th we cruised down to SLO to spend some time with my family. Now, we are on the road again, this time back to sunny San Diego.
My training last week was pretty light and unstructured. I did get in some workouts but nothing too serious, which is fine as I think it will serve me well as the season progresses.

This week I will be back at it with some higher volume...can't wait!
Hope all is well. Have fun out there!

--She is ready for the beach!

Day 7 and 8

--Winter riding gear...no fooling around, it's cold up here!

Sunday I started out with another Stanford masters session. It was a challenging set that included 17x100. 5x100 at base +5, 100 easy, 5x100 at base, 100 easy, 5x100 at base -5. I felt decent as the session went on. Swimming meters is getting much easier (relatively speaking), which is a great feeling b/c the first few workouts were rough! After swimming I rested up a bit and then head out for my long run in the afternoon. I got in 1:25 of hilly running.


--Sans pelo. This is my christmas present to my family, they love it when I cut all my hair off ;)

Today has been a lazy day and will be a day off for me. I logged almost 20 hours of training last week and, while I feel good, I am certainly tired so today is a good day to take off. This week will be challenging from a training standpoint just b/c of the holiday. So, I will get in another masters session tomorrow morning along with a trainer workout. Then, it is up to Sacramento to spend Christmas with family.
I will have my running shoes and that will likely be the only thing I will get in as pools will be closed and the roads will be wet.
This week is a great time to relax and be with family so I am going to enjoy it and get back to structured training after Christmas.
Hope everyone is getting that shopping done. Have a good one and thanks for reading.

--Passed out...rest is key!

Day 6

The day started early with 6 am masters practice. It was freezing this morning so it was a little rough making the dash from the locker room to the pool. We warmed up with some 50's and then had to swim 2 k straight alternating free/back by 50 and descending the free so that by the end you are really pushing it. Surprisingly, it went by pretty quickly and it felt good to really work on my stroke, making sure I am really "catching" the water. I am starting to feel so much more powerful in the water, much more so then ever before =)

After my swim I cruised back to the casa for some breakfast before my big adventure in the Santa Cruz mountains. I met up with my buddy Paul Roach (fellow Xterra athlete)...it was great to have company! We got in just about 4 hrs and 10,000 feet of climbing. I love the ride we did b/c it includes 2, 45 min climbs and the route runs through some amazing terrain. Today was gorgeous! The views were unbelievable. Some of the best riding in the country really is in Northern California. Of course, I didn't bring my camera so you will just have to take my word for it. It turned out to be one of the best rides I have done in a very long time. It was cold but I dressed appropriately this time so I stayed fairly comfortable despite the massive climbs and descents.
Tomorrow will be another masters session and a long run.
I think I am going to kill this entire pizza I just made and I am beat so I am going to cut this one short. Thanks for reading. Time for some recovery and then let's do it all again tomorrow! Yeahhh boyyyy! Thanks for reading.

Day 5

Today turned into a recovery day. I made it to the pool for a noon workout and just cruised it. I had a lot of work to do, the weather sucked and I was feeling tired so I decided to get in some lighter swimming to loosen up my sore muscles and then come back home and knock out some work.

Plus, this weekend I have some serious hours on tap. I will be swimming masters both days and then on Saturday I will head up in the Santa Cruz mountains for a long, hilly ride. On Sunday, after masters, I will get in my long run on some of the local trails. So, today is nice and easy and this weekend will kick my butt! Can't wait!

On another note, Skinfit will be partnering with Christine Jeffrey, stud swimmer and most recently 5th at Xterra World's. Look for her to dominate Xterra next year! The athlete line-up here in the states is looking pretty good with Victor Plata (olympian), Brian Lavelle, Christine Jeffrey, Reto Waeffler, James Walsh, and myself.
Plus, a whole bunch of top European athletes.

Throughout the weekend I should have a lot to report...plenty of adventures ahead!
Thanks for reading.

Day 4

I slept in a bit this morning and then knocked out some Skinfit shipments.
I decided to skip masters today and opted to head out for my trail run around 11. I felt great so I kept running and got in a fairly hilly 1:20. I just love running when the weather is a bit chilly...the air is so refreshing and invigorating. After my run I put in some serious stretch cord time and did core/lower back work. The stretch cords kicked my butt...I love doing these exercises b/c I feel that I get instant gratification in terms of better form, a stronger pull and, overall, just more efficient swimming.
I was going to spin on rollers but the rain was holding off so I hit the road for 1:30 of pure recovery. It felt good to loosen up the legs and get some fresh air before the rain starts falling again.
A fairly uneventful day, especially when compared to yesterday. Tomorrow is more of the same with a masters session (another threshold set that will no doubt destroy me!) and a trainer workout. Sorry for the lack of pictures...I will have more tomorrow and over the weekend.
One announcement is that Xterra released the 2009 race schedule. I will be doing all the cup races (8 in total), which are the races with money and pro points. I will be traveling to some new venues so I am excited about that... Las Vegas, Michigan, Alabama, Vermont, Colorado, Idaho, Utah and they are slated to put two more cup races on the schedule...who know where those will be.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Day 3

First of all, I slept like a champ last night. I was so tired last night b/c I had to be up early two days in a row and, plus, I spent the whole day training. So, in true rockstar fashion I hit the sack at something like 8:15. I ignored the alarm for masters and slept until 7:45...some solid hours and it felt great. I spent the rest of the morning doing some work and then went to noon masters at Stanford.

--Fuel!

Again, a serious slap in the face...warmup, 3x50's all-out for time, then 2 rounds of 3x100 base -5, 100 base +20, 2x100 base -5, 100 base +20, 1x100 base -5, 100 base +20. The good thing was that I made the send off fairly easily. We pulled the second round so the send off became a nonissue. So, some hard swimming and I am much happier with my performance today then I was yesterday. Swimming long course is simply harder...no way around it. If your not swimming long course you are at a disadvantage at the start of every triathlon/open water swim you do (doesn't really apply if your a REALLY GREAT swimmer but it doesn't hurt either). So, if you can get in a 50 meter pool do it! You will be a faster swimmer b/c of it.

--My home away from home...2, 50 meter pools! This facility is awesome.

After swimming I rushed home to head out the door for my ride. I had planned a 3 hr ride but since I slept in I changed things up and set out for 2 hrs. I rode out to hwy 9 and started the 45 min climb, feeling a little unsure if it was a wise move given how cold it has been and how much snow was up top. I forged ahead and really enjoyed the climb. When I was just about at the top I saw a guy sitting on the side of the road and a bit further was a bike on the ground. I stopped to see if he needed anything and when he looked at me he was covered in blood from his head/face down...wow! I stopped to help and just as I unclipped the ambulance/police came flying around the corner. They took care of it and I rode off since he was in better hands. As I rode away he said "be careful, the roads are really slippery."

So, I got to the top and changed my plans, no more riding for me b/c the temperature was only going to get dip lower and the roads were only going to get more icy. I decided to go back down the climb I just came up (the fastest way home). Nine miles later I was frozen! Seriously, my hands were so cold I was actually a bit worried (yes, I did have gloves on). I rode the last 15 minutes as hard as I could to try and get some blood flowing again. I made it back, fired up the heater, turned on the hot water in the shower and tried to get back to normal...it hurts so bad to get blood back into your hands when they are that cold. So, stupid to head into the mountains given the weather? The short answer is yes however, I got some great pics, saw and rode through some beautiful snow covered mountains, which I don't normally get to do, and in true "rocky" fashion I had to toughen up just to get home.


Now, it is time to relax before tomorrow. More training in store with another masters session, a trail run, and core/stretch cord work.

Day 2 (yesterday was day 1 and I did my long run)

The day started REALLY early (Thanks Reto!) as I had to take Reto to the S.F. airport. I could have come back and slept but I decided to get my training under way and got in my first trainer session. The rain was coming down hard and, in the mountains, snow plows were clearing the roads...crazy. So, time on the trainer was fine, especially since I had to get in some spin-ups, single leg drills and some strengthening. I wrapped up my session in 1 hr and then got some grub before heading to Stanford masters.


--my office this morning

Okay, let me start by saying that this workout today was just silly...20x150 on your base interval +5 sec. I understand that I need to put in the work but could we please make my time in the pool somewhat enjoyable?! I mean come on, 20x150...it just doesn't get more boring! It was one of those workouts that when I got in the shower I just stared at the wall and wondered what the hell just happen...seriously, 300 warm-up and then basically 3 k straight (yes, it was long course).
Welcome back to Stanford Trevor!
After swimming, I did some grocery shopping, shipping of packages and then went out for a trail run before it got dark. I love running these trails around here, especially with the rain as it has made the trails so soft and tacky. Plus, running during the winter is
So, a solid day of training. Tomorrow I am heading back to the pool (for some redemption!) and, since it is slated to be sunny, I will head out for a longer road ride.

Stay warm and dry out there.

Training camp time!

So, today marks the beginning of my "real" training in prep for the 2009 Xterra season. I am in Los Gatos until Christmas looking after Skinfit while Reto is in Europe. That means a nine day training camp is getting under way (literally in 5 min. as I head out the door for my first session, a long run). I will be in full-blown "Rocky" mode...no distractions, no being soft, no alcohol, no heat, only cold showers, and plenty of training in the cold and rain/snow =) Ha, Ha, time to toughen up! The hair is coming off, there are trees in the backyard I plan to chop up and haul to the top of hwy 9(on my shoulders), and when the snow falls I will be out there in only my speedo tearing up the trails ;)
There will be plenty of rides and runs in the Santa Cruz mountains (lots and lots of climbing)and Stanford masters swimming...a recipe for fitness if you ask me. I will post my days activities everyday for 9 days so follow my progress as I kick off the 2009 season...it's going to be a good year, I can feel it!

By the way, Christmas is fast approaching so make sure to make your Skinfit purchases soon...so much great gear that you know you need!!!

Training...

On saturday, I hit up the famous Swami's ride. It was a good time and a solid group to ride with. Plus, the weather was perfect! The pace was fairly comfortable for me, which was good seeing as how I have only ridden a few times in the last few weeks. After the ride I went for a short transition run on the beach and a mellow drill session in the pool. I wasn't feeling 100% on sunday and monday so I decided to lay low and rest up...I think the move was finally catching up with me. By Tuesday, I was ready to roll and I got in some great training. I went to masters and got in 4k and then met up with Eric Palmer for a mountain bike tour of Penasquitos Canyon. The day was so nice and I felt so good so I went for a short transition run after the ride.

This morning I went back to masters...mental note, test sets take place on wednesdays=) Joy, 14x100 with 1,4,7,10,12,13 as fast as you can go and the rest just cruising. I sucked it up despite my "out of shapeness" (ok, not a word but I am rolling with it) and swam okay. I never really struggle to swim fast 100's though. I need to work on swimming fast 500's, 1000's, 1500's (duh!). So, even though I just got back in the water it didn't entirely surprise me that I swam between 1:07 and 1:09 for all the hard hundreds. So, if I could just hold that 1:07 pace for a 500 or 1000 I think I will be better off =) I am sure when I have to swim this set again in a couple of weeks the fast hundreds will all be sub 1:05, maybe even a couple seconds faster ;)
I really like the morning masters group at UCSD. There are a ton of swimmers and plenty of people kicking my butt. So, the motivation is high everyday when I get in the pool, which is what I need to get faster. Tonight I am heading out with the Swami's group for a night mountain bike ride. Should be a good time and a chance to get to know more of the riders in the club.
I have a couple more swims on tap this week, a trail run with James and then some riding on some "new" roads out east. So, good times ahead.


Oh, I picked up a new sponsor/partner...Saris Cycling Group, the makers of Powertap, trainers, bike racks, etc. A great partnership to have and one I will take full advantage of.
Have fun out there and thanks for reading!

My week so far...

So, Monday marked the beginning of my 2009 training/racing campaign. December is a "prep" month for me and I get more serious starting in January. This weeks workouts have been decent and what I expected. Some time in the pool (I felt terrible all week but oh well), some mountain biking and a few trail runs. Basically though, I spent most of the last 5 days getting used to my surroundings and finding my way around. I have the pool and some decent trail running down but I still have a lot of exploring to do on the bike before I find some nice routes. I am excited about UCSD masters...the group is good, there are tons of workouts, the facility is nice and they have long course, which is key.
When I wasn't training I was busy with Skinfit, coaching and getting our living situation all dialed in. I think we are finally set and it feels great!
This weekend I am going to do some riding. On saturday, I am going to go do the famous Swami's ride in north county to see what this is all about (and to learn some riding routes) and then on Sunday I am headed out east with one of my athletes for a longer road ride. I am sure Jess and I will sneak in some time relaxing with some beer and the beach/bay. I really love being so close to the water! I need a kayak =)
Have a good weekend everyone! Thanks for reading.

Settled and getting back to a normal lifestyle

Jess and I are finally down in San Diego and are getting settled in our new place. Most all of the boxes are unpacked and the casa is decorated. We still have some loose ends to work out but everything is falling into place. Our location is pretty sweet, we can cross the street and we are on the beach or the bay, we can walk down the street and there are TONS of restaurants, bars, and shops. So, there isn't a lack of things to do and the scenery is pretty hard to beat.


--Bayside



I started back with my training on sunday and it feels great to be back at it. I don't feel too bad, except in the pool, which is to be expected. Everything will be back to normal shortly and I am fine with the lack of fitness since it is December. A lack of fitness now is actually a great thing and, while it makes the training a bit harder, I am fine with it.
I am swimming at UCSD, which is a nice facility. The only thing that bums me out a bit is that I have to drive so much to find good riding and running. I have been really lucky in that I could just ride road or mountain and run on trails right from my front door. Now, I pretty much have to drive somewhere to find solid riding without a million stoplights and for me to hit the trails requires a drive too. Things could be worse so I will make it work and there are so many other perks that it offsets the driving ( I think =) ).
Overall, we are stoked to be down here and I think there are a lot of good times to be had. James has been my local resource and a huge help so thanks goes out to him. It is nice to actually have a training partner now and there are so many resources down here that it is almost overwhelming. So, all is good here at the beach. Now, back to my list of things to do =)

--Beachside