Picture edition

--You can't beat a Hawaiian sunset


--The gun about to go off


--Skinfit por vida! Skinfit was everywhere in Maui...what a great site to behold! Also, the womens winner is a sponsored skinfit athlete...the best in the world wears skinfit!



--"slightly" dirty after the bike when I went out onto the run




--Happy the race and season is over and fired up for James...Congrats on a great race buddy!



--The crazy life post race! Loving the hippie life!

You know, I have had some time to think about my performance and when I look back on the day I can't help but feel disappointed but happy at the same time. While I know I didn't race to my potential I think it is important to recognize that I was in Maui and I did take part in an incredible event with great friends. Many people pulled off great performances and I am so happy for them...James, you killed it and I couldn't be happier for you!...Tom finished up his first world champs and I know he will be back (once you get a taste of this race you can't stop thinking about it).

Now for some honesty, this was the first time in 2 years that I have not been on the podium after a race. To see those guys up there for the overall amateur and the 25-29 age group was hard, actually it really pissed me off. That night at the awards dinner was a wakeup call and I realized right then and there that I never want to feel this way again. I am not the type of person to let something like this get me down. Instead, the emotions that I felt that night at the awards dinner will fuel me all season next year (every workout). I will only work harder and be stronger next year. I realize that failure is one component of success but, let's be honest, I hate losing and I refuse to do it! So, giddy up...2008 is going to be an incredible season!

Thanks for all the support this year from SKINFIT, Matisse and Jacks, Elite Bicycles, GU, Aquaman, my coach Reto Waeffler, all my friends and family. Most importantly, thanks to my amazing wife Jessica...you are so special to me and I couldn't be on this amazing journey without you!

New products from Matisse and Jack's!

Matisse and Jack's has been supporting me all season and I can't say enough about how amazing they have been and how great their products taste.
They are expanding their product line, which is good news for all of us! See the additions below.
What I love most about their products is that they are made from real, all-natural ingredients, which is rare in a world flooded with over processed foods.
Order some of their stuff, you won't regret it! Ok, you may become addicted but there are worse things to be addicted to. Give them a try.




--YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

worlds

So, the race is over and, guess what, the course is still BRUTAL!
I went 9 minutes faster then last year. My swim and run were solid but my bike was lacking in every sense of the word. My goal was to ride 1:45 but I only managed 1:50. I just didn't have the strength I needed today. Had I ridden what I think I am capable of I would had a much better result. The good thing about the run is that I was in control the entire time and didn't even try to redline it...I probably should have pushed harder but to be honest I knew I lost a lot of ground on the bike and I just didn't feel like I had much to race for. I guess this could be viewed as a bad attitude but this was a very long season and I think my heart just wasn't really in it. It shouldn't be this way at the world champs so I will just have to evaluate everything and create an appropriate plan for next year.
When I look back on the day I am a bit disappointed but I did improve a lot over last year and that is all I can ask for. I can't really control how fast everyone else races and they did go fast (way faster then last year!).
I only managed 5th in my age group and 44th overall...not exactly stellar placing considering my goal going into the race and, like I said, I am pretty bummed but this fuels the fire for next year and I can't forget that I did improve over last year.
So, now it is time to party it up a bit at the dinner and halloween party! I will be taking November off (no training) so I am looking forward to some great adventures with Jess and friends.
Thanks for all the support. I will post pictures once we get back.

Loving island life!

So, we are officially in Maui and it feels great to be back!
We are staying at the host hotel (Maui Prince), which is nice since it is so close to the action. I tend to stay away from all of the pre-race activities/hype not b/c I don't want to partake but b/c I want to go into race day as rested as possible and that involves staying off my feet. There is plenty of time to party after the race (the entire month of november in fact!).
Today Jess and I are up early b/c of the time change and b/c the birds here are unbelievably loud...Wow!! Plus, we went to bed at around 8pm.
In about an hour I am heading out for a short ride with a few accelerations and then I will swim one lap of the course. I LOVE swimming here! Yesterday Tom and I took a quick dip and it felt great despite the heavy ocean chop (from all the wind). We saw a ton of fish. I can't wait to get back in today...it is so relaxing.
Alright, time for more coffee and then I am off. I will try to post some pictures later today.
Race day is tomorrow and I can't wait!
Have a good one.

Life's full of choices...

So, every year after the race there is a huge Halloween party and you HAVE to show up in a costume.
I just can't decide which way to go...while the wig is just one component it can make or break the image. Life is full of choices....
What's a guy to do?


--Old faithful...sure to turn heads


--The darkhorse...this one could be a stunner with the right lighting =)


--Thrown in for good measure so you can see just how GREAT these mullets are

What's your vote?

Alohaaaaaaaaaaa!

Well, the bike box is packed with the new Elite bike and mentally, we are already embracing the island spirit. We can't wait to get to Maui so that I can race hard and then we can relax hard =) I love Xterra but I also love an ice cold cocktail on the beach and I feel like I have earned a few.
Today was my last run and I jumped in the pool for a quick 1 k swim with some accelerations.

--sans pelo with one tierd dog. Gotta beat that heat in Maui!

I feel strong and rested...just the way I need to be feeling a few days out from the race. Hopefully our travel day goes smoothly and we score some sushi at Sansai (a local spot with some great food)by days end!
FYI--you can all follow the race on race day at www.xterraplanet.com. They will have live video throughout the race.


--The days have been perfect here...80 degrees at the beach in asilomar, which is unbeatable!

Stay tuned as we near race day.

Time for some rest and mental prep

We are a mere 5 days away from the Xterra World Championships and it is time for some rest. The hard work is done and all I need to do is get plenty of sleep and relaxation(physically and mentally) so that come race day I am ready to go as hard and fast as possible. My workouts between now and race day will be short with some brief intense efforts to make sure my body is ready for the hard effort on sunday. It is a fine line, if you do nothing but sit around and rest you will likely feel flat on race day but if you do slightly too much in terms of intensity you could feel tierd. I have done a lot of racing so I know how my body reacts in these situations and I have race week workouts/rest pretty dialed in. The most important thing for me is that I toe the start line hungry and ready to go ballistic for about 3 hours and in order to do that I need to rest mentally and do a lot of visualization so that during race day I embrace the pain rather then give in to it and slow down.
A lot of things go through your mind in the days leading up to race day but I have found that you must look back on all the hard work you did and remain confident that you are strong and mentally charged to put in a great performance. If you doubt yourself at this stage of the game you didn't prepare hard enough over the last few months. So, I feel confident and strong and I look forward to a great day in Maui. Stay tuned as we come even closer to World's.
Thanks for reading.