Checking out the nationals course in Tahoe

Jess and I left Bear Valley this morning and drove up to Incline Village to pre-ride and run the course.
The rain gods decided to leave everything dry, which we were very excited about.
The course was killer...the recent rain left the trail in perfect condition (no dust!) and the views were as spectacular as I remember them. I don't remember the major downhill being so plagued with rocks...it is a tough decent, especially at race pace!
Oh yeah, I did crash...I somehow managed to land on my feet after being dislodged from my bike (it felt like I was in the air for a while) when my front wheel hit a rather large rock and stopped. I had that split second thought that this is going to be bad but my "cat-like" reflexes (ha, ha) saved me from what could have been a painful ride back to the condo. To be honest, I wish someone was there to see this happen b/c it probably looked pretty crazy. After I marched back up to the trail (I flew down the hill a bit) I found my new bike set nicely on a soft bush...how kind.
After my ride I ran 1 lap of the run course.


Jess and I then got some grub at a local cafe and then headed back to Bear Valley.
All said and done, it was a great day with some solid training. sophie even made some new dog friends at the dog park in Incline Village.


Well, off to get some pizza and beer at the local hot spot.
Take care and stay tuned.

Some pics from our mountain adventure

-My favorite two people enjoying the beauty of Lake Alpine


-Skinfit por vida...the BEST clothing hands down! I look tierd b/c I am, but ignore me and check out the awesome gear!


-Our campsite at Lake Alpine Campground


-sophie chilling out by the fire after some serious time in the water


-Did I tell you she loves her tennis ball?


-The happy couple lakeside


-Yes, that's snow...what is happening? We didn't sign up for this!

Altitude training in Bear Valley

Jess and I are in Bear Valley right now to get in some relaxation and training. It is absolutely beautiful up here but I have to say, its COLD! What's up with all of this new snow? We didn't come up here to see snow!

Well, we are making the most of it and between snow fall I head out for my training adventures in an effort to get acclimated to altitude before Xterra Nationals. I have to look at the snow in a positive light...Lake Tahoe (the site of nationals) will be cold so I better start getting used to it. It is time to "harden" up and what better way than to train in the snow at altitude.

This morning I got in a hard run, which was brutal since we are at 7000 feet and shortly I will be taking a plunge into Bear Lake for some open water swimming...Good thing I have my wetsuit =)

Seriously though, the water isn't that cold b/c it is a relatively small and shallow lake so it heated up over the summer and it has only been cold here for a day, which isn't enough time for it to cool off. There is still something about jumping into a lake when snow is on the ground. I just try to turn my mind off and go for it and, in all honesty, I always end up loving the swim b/c the water is crisp and clean.

Tomorrow we are heading to Incline Village, NV so that I can pre-ride and run the nationals course. Tomorrow shows some clearing so we are going to take advantage of the "better" weather. Sunday will bring tons of rain and snow so it will be a rest day for me.
Well, stay tuned as I approach Xterra Nationals. I will try to update my blog often with all of the adventures Jess and I find up in the mountains. Take care.

A new bike...it feels just like christmas!

I just got my new mountain bike from Elite and it is SWEET! I can't wait to hit the trails on this bad boy! The bike showed up just in time for nationals and world's and I am really fired up to be representing Elite at these big races.
check out their website...www.elitebicycles.com



--If you look close you can see that my signature is on the frame

Pictures from PG

Despite a poor performance on my part Jessica got some good pictures!

We'll just act like that didn't happen....

I have always loved the Pacific Grove Triathlon b/c it is my hometown race and all of my friends and family come out and I get to spend quality time with them. With so many people watching I always want to do well but you can't be in peak shape all year and my big races come in October.

The bottom line is that I was flat all day and I suffered from stomach problems so we will just act like this years race didn't even happen. I had a great time with friends and family but raced very poorly. I wouldn't even really call it a race...just a day of exercise really.

There are three things that I think went wrong for me...

1. I don't think I have fully recovered from my altitude training camp...it takes about 10 days to get back to normal so you feel flat and unable to really get after it.
2. I don't think breakfast sat well. Reto and I both ate the same thing for breakfast and both had stomach issues.
3. I normally take a carbo loading drink the day prior to competition and I haven't had any problems with it for the past 5 races but I am thinking it left me bloated and full.

Reto and I both had poor races and we both trained at altitude and we both consumed the exact same thing so I think it is safe to say that these three things led to "flat" days.

Overall, I am disappointed in my performance but my disappointment was overshadowed by fun with friends and family.
So, it is on to prep for xterra nationals and world's...these are the races that really matter.
I will post some pics later so stay tuned.

Perfection!

My buddy Reto and I just returned from an epic training camp in the sierra's. We spent a few days at Lake Alpine, CA, which is at 7,300 feet and is a perfect location for a tough training camp filled with tons of riding, running, and open water swimming.


Lets just say that we had a blast and we put in some very hard work at altitude. I can say with certainty that I have come away a stronger athlete with a renewed focus on top performances at both nationals and world's. I must also mention that I found a second home up there...I love the Bear Valley/Lake Alpine area and I can assure you that Jess and I will do our best to become locals up there!


Everyday started with a swim in Lake Alpine, which is beautiful and crystal clear. There is something so special about swimming in the morning in a calm, crisp alpine lake...to bad there isn't anything like that here in monterey. Then it was off for thousands of feet of climbing over numerous mountain passes. This was some of the most spectacular riding I have ever done and I can't wait to get back to tackle those long, tough alpine climbs. After the ride it was time for a short transition run, which was always hard after such an effort on the bike.


When training was all said and done we ate like kings, stuffing ourselves until we couldn't take in anything else...except for that incredible apple pie at the lodge we were staying at...did I mention the ice cream was amazing too?!

--Okay, we did have some beer but can you blame us =)

So, it was a very productive training camp and I am so happy that we chose to go there b/c I feel that we found a second home that we will visit many times throughout the coming years.

Now it is time for a little rest as I approach the Pacific Grove Triathlon, which is this weekend. The goal is to win the overall amateur title...I have wanted to do this for a long time. This race is tough for me b/c I always want to do so well but you can't be in great shape all the time and since the Xterra World Champs is my focus, my fitness will not be exactly where I need it to be. You can't have everything, right? I will still go out there and go as hard as I can and hopefully a win will be the result. Stay tuned for a race report and thanks for reading.