Man, I already miss racing and find myself trying to figure out a way to make it to some of the remaining Xterra races! This time of year can be hard for athletes b/c you can feel burned out but, for me, I just miss the racing and burn out is the furthest thing from my mind. I know deep down that racing is going to be impossible this season...I have an unbelievable amount of work on my plate right now. I am managing to get out for some "training" between work and planning our move but nothing specific to racing like structured intervals.
I realize more and more how much I love to train and feel fit...it really rounds me out and makes me a happier person. When things are take away from you you realize how important they truly are.
I have been thinking about doing the Xduro World Championships and even the Xduro National Championships since I can fit in some running right now. The National Champs is a long shot just b/c Jess and I will be so busy with moving, etc. but the Xduro World Champs is a possibility. We'll see, it is all just a dream right now but as things calm down and life becomes a bit more manageable perhaps you'll hear me say we are off to Hawaii to race the Xduro World Champs in December. This is just my way of staying in touch with racing and the Xterra culture that I love so much.
Well, off to stare at my computer for another 8 hrs (A noon run with the dog has never been so exciting to me after this amount of computer time!). Have a good one!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Skinfit USA launches a blog...
Checkout Skinfit USA's new blog. It was just launched but on a weekly basis there will be discussions about Skinfit products and stories from athletes, teams and supporters.
Skinfit USA blog
Skinfit USA blog
Friday, August 15, 2008
Wow, life has been crazy...
First of all, I haven't posted in a while because my life has been out of control...sorry! I just started my new job on monday so I have been inundated with the usual administrative stuff along with traveling to Chicago for training. I got back from my first trip to Chicago at 1 am Thursday morning...a long day to say the least!
Jess and I are trying to find someone to rent our house and, at the same time, trying to find a place to live up north. We are on craislist every waking hour of the day it feels like.
--Let the fun begin!
We did manage to get up to Lake Tahoe 2 weeks ago for a family trip. It was great! We love it up there sooooo much. Being in Tahoe and all (and not being able to race Nationals this year) I had to bring my bike and I had to ride the Nationals course. Guess what, it is still AMAZING!
I had so much fun riding the course and I can't wait to do it again. FYI--it is super sandy for all you racing in October...pray for rain (not snow!).
I have managed to squeeze in some riding and plenty of running (since it is so efficient). I just love training and I probably think about how bummed I am to not be racing 10 times a day. I even think to myself on rides/runs that I might be able to race at Nationals/Worlds and then I get home to my laundry list of stuff to do and reality sets in. Being gone for so much time in September is just too limiting and once our relocation starts there will be little to no time to train seriously (and little to no real rest). So, for now I will just keep thinking about next years races and I will do whatever I can in terms of training to make myself happy and to stay somewhat fit. I can tell you that I am already forging plans for next season! I get excited thinking about it and after about 10 months of no racing I am going to be pumped to toe the line again (come May)...I think this will be good for me, especially mentally.
Well, that's it from here. Have a good weekend everyone!
Oh, Skinfit USA just launched its webshop...you can now order gear online! It is the best athletic apparel on the market and it's now available here in the states...check it out at www.skinfit.eu, click on the "USA" tab.
--At the bar of course
Jess and I are trying to find someone to rent our house and, at the same time, trying to find a place to live up north. We are on craislist every waking hour of the day it feels like.
--Let the fun begin!
We did manage to get up to Lake Tahoe 2 weeks ago for a family trip. It was great! We love it up there sooooo much. Being in Tahoe and all (and not being able to race Nationals this year) I had to bring my bike and I had to ride the Nationals course. Guess what, it is still AMAZING!
I had so much fun riding the course and I can't wait to do it again. FYI--it is super sandy for all you racing in October...pray for rain (not snow!).
I have managed to squeeze in some riding and plenty of running (since it is so efficient). I just love training and I probably think about how bummed I am to not be racing 10 times a day. I even think to myself on rides/runs that I might be able to race at Nationals/Worlds and then I get home to my laundry list of stuff to do and reality sets in. Being gone for so much time in September is just too limiting and once our relocation starts there will be little to no time to train seriously (and little to no real rest). So, for now I will just keep thinking about next years races and I will do whatever I can in terms of training to make myself happy and to stay somewhat fit. I can tell you that I am already forging plans for next season! I get excited thinking about it and after about 10 months of no racing I am going to be pumped to toe the line again (come May)...I think this will be good for me, especially mentally.
Well, that's it from here. Have a good weekend everyone!
Oh, Skinfit USA just launched its webshop...you can now order gear online! It is the best athletic apparel on the market and it's now available here in the states...check it out at www.skinfit.eu, click on the "USA" tab.
--At the bar of course
Friday, August 1, 2008
Hard decisions...
Well, I haven't posted in a while b/c my life has been absolutely CRAZY! As you know, I lost my job back in June so I have been interviewing. I just accepted a new position in the bay area so Jess and I will be packing up and moving up north. I start August 11th. With this job comes a lot of training (for work) and travel in the initial months. I have been through this type of training many times before and I know how exhausting it will be. In addition to the job change and moving plans I have had some other personal issues that I have been dealing with. So, I think it is safe to say I have had more stress in my life then ever before and I have really struggled with it. I usually think of myself as a pretty level-headed person and I am pretty good at looking past all of the little "headaches" and focusing on what's really important and good in my life. The past couple weeks have been really hard on me physically and emotionally, which has left me feeling really bummed out and unhappy.
I learned a long time ago that taking on too much and trying to do everything perfectly or at 100% is simply impossible and only leads to stress and failure (at least in my mind). So, something has to give if I am going to get through the first few months of this new job, relocation, renting our house, Jess finding a new job, etc.
So, I made a VERY hard decision this week to end my 2008 racing season...no more racing until next year b/c I just won't have the time to prepare properly and travel to these events. I really can't fully express how bummed I am about not racing at the biggest Xterra races of the year (nationals and worlds). I have worked so hard this year and I feel like my best fitness is in front of me so I am really upset to be pulling the plug. I will even be skipping Ogden b/c I will be traveling to Chicago for an orientation and Jess and I will begin the packing/moving process. Trying to race at a high level with all this stress is simply not an option. If you have followed this blog you know that I am big on life balance and there is no way I can handle all of this change and race. Not to mention, I will be gone in Chicago almost the entire month of September for work training. I have really struggled with the decision and, honestly, I have been really depressed about everything over the last week. These emotions have caused me to be really unhappy and have forced some change, hence my decision to stop racing this year. I will be training some b/c I love it and, by all means, I plan to come back stronger then ever in 2009. Plus, there is no bigger stress reliever for me then going for some longer, fun rides and runs.
So, that's the news from here. It has been crazy for the last 2 weeks and the craziness will continue for the next few months. This was a really hard decision for me but it was the right one. I can tell you right now that my decision to stop racing this year is going to make me very hungry for 2009 and I WILL be back stronger and fitter then ever next year, ready to tackle the Xterra pro field.
Thanks for reading and have a good weekend!
I learned a long time ago that taking on too much and trying to do everything perfectly or at 100% is simply impossible and only leads to stress and failure (at least in my mind). So, something has to give if I am going to get through the first few months of this new job, relocation, renting our house, Jess finding a new job, etc.
So, I made a VERY hard decision this week to end my 2008 racing season...no more racing until next year b/c I just won't have the time to prepare properly and travel to these events. I really can't fully express how bummed I am about not racing at the biggest Xterra races of the year (nationals and worlds). I have worked so hard this year and I feel like my best fitness is in front of me so I am really upset to be pulling the plug. I will even be skipping Ogden b/c I will be traveling to Chicago for an orientation and Jess and I will begin the packing/moving process. Trying to race at a high level with all this stress is simply not an option. If you have followed this blog you know that I am big on life balance and there is no way I can handle all of this change and race. Not to mention, I will be gone in Chicago almost the entire month of September for work training. I have really struggled with the decision and, honestly, I have been really depressed about everything over the last week. These emotions have caused me to be really unhappy and have forced some change, hence my decision to stop racing this year. I will be training some b/c I love it and, by all means, I plan to come back stronger then ever in 2009. Plus, there is no bigger stress reliever for me then going for some longer, fun rides and runs.
So, that's the news from here. It has been crazy for the last 2 weeks and the craziness will continue for the next few months. This was a really hard decision for me but it was the right one. I can tell you right now that my decision to stop racing this year is going to make me very hungry for 2009 and I WILL be back stronger and fitter then ever next year, ready to tackle the Xterra pro field.
Thanks for reading and have a good weekend!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The training front...
Well, after a few days of recovery post vineman it is time to get after it! My training will become much more intense for the next 2 1/2 weeks as I ramp up for Ogden August 16th.
I got in some great mountain bike riding with Reto and Linda Gallo over the last couple days and it feels very good to be off that Time trial bike and back onto the dirt! So, not much else to report other than I will be training VERY HARD over the next couple weeks and I expect to be very fit heading into Ogden. The only "X Factor" is altitude but I am putting together my plan to beat that one. More on this later as things develop.
Have a great weekend everyone. Mine will be filled with plenty of training and a birthday celebration for Jessica!
I got in some great mountain bike riding with Reto and Linda Gallo over the last couple days and it feels very good to be off that Time trial bike and back onto the dirt! So, not much else to report other than I will be training VERY HARD over the next couple weeks and I expect to be very fit heading into Ogden. The only "X Factor" is altitude but I am putting together my plan to beat that one. More on this later as things develop.
Have a great weekend everyone. Mine will be filled with plenty of training and a birthday celebration for Jessica!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Vineman
--Good morning! All smiles at the start and no warmup...just how I like it =)
Well, my first half ironman is in the bag and, just like I expected, it was a long day! I really did have a good time and got in some good training. I wanted to get some experience with the distance and I did. I do like many things about doing longer distance races but there is still nothing like Xterra...Xterra is hands down the most enjoyable and interesting type of racing in my mind. Xterra is incredibly hard, which I like and it is everything but boring. There were certainly times yesterday when it was just boring. The course is really beautiful so the scenery kept it pretty interesting but it is still not the most exciting type of racing.
I am slightly curious what I could do time wise if I actually trained for the distance and raced it instead of just cruising it for fun (I finished in 4:35 yesterday...yes that's pretty slow but I did spend 3 minutes in 2 seperate bathrooms (I timed it out of curiousity)! I was doing it for fun remember...bathrooms stops were mandatory =) ). The biggest problem I had on the day was with my lower back and hips, which comes from not riding my time trial bike more then 3 times in the last year (the 3 times happen in the week before the race). About 30 miles into the ride my back and hips were killing me (I pretty much spent the next 26 miles stretching my back and getting out of the saddle any chance I got). I thought this might happen b/c I am not used to the position on my time trial bike and the position forces you to use muscles differently. So, let's just say I am pretty sore this morning!
--Finally off that bike and man do I have to go to the bathroom!
I wasn't sure how I would hold up on the run so I cruised about 8 miles of it and then ran a bit harder for the remainder since I knew I just had to run 5 miles to the finish.
So, mission accomplished this weekend...I finished the distance and I kept a smile on my face throughout the day. I am not sure when I will do another one. I still want to do an ironman at some point but there will certainly be plenty of preparation done before that adventure.
After the race Jess and I cruised around the area and eventually ended up in Calistoga where we got some grub! Then we made the long drive back home and I crashed hard! Overall, it was a great weekend and Jess and I had plenty of fun!
Now, it is time to get back to some hard prep for my upcoming Xterra races...giddy up!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Recovery week and plans for the weekend
This week has been a recovery week for me and I feel good after several days of easy workouts and plenty of sleep. I have been busy with interviews and Skinfit business but since training was on the light side this week I had time to get plenty of work done.
Today is going to be another mellow day with a spin on the time trial bike and a short run with the dog. This afternoon we are heading up to San Jose for a concert with some good friends and then tomorrow I will get in a swim and ride before heading up to Vineman to pick up my race packet. We are staying in San Rafael b/c I couldn't find a hotel near the race that wasn't crazy expensive or sold out. Oh well, it really isn't that big of a deal b/c I will be with Jess and I am sure we can find something fun to do.
I am really looking forward to this event. I want to get some experience with this distance so my goal is just to finish and to see what longer distance racing is all about. I like this position b/c I don't know what to expect and I am just going to go out there to have fun and learn all that I can. Plus, it helps that the race is set in a beautiful place and I will have Jess with me to enjoy the experience. I am thinking I will bring the portable shower so that I can get cleaned up for some wine tasting and a nice restaurant after the race =) Forget the gatorade and the dried out cookies and fruit...we will be in the heart of wine country!
I have always wanted to qualify for Kona (Hawaii Ironman World Championships) and I plan to chase this qualifying spot next year. So, this is the first step toward achieving this goal...get some experience this weekend and be more aggressive next year when I go for a slot to Kona. Kona really is the pinnacle of the sport and I want to do it before I stop racing at a higher level, which is why I am going to try for a spot next year.
After this weekend I will be back to another hard training block in which I will really dial up the intensity. Ogden is just around the corner so I will be putting in some very hard sessions. Well, that's it from here. Have a good weekend and stay tuned for a race report from Vineman.
Today is going to be another mellow day with a spin on the time trial bike and a short run with the dog. This afternoon we are heading up to San Jose for a concert with some good friends and then tomorrow I will get in a swim and ride before heading up to Vineman to pick up my race packet. We are staying in San Rafael b/c I couldn't find a hotel near the race that wasn't crazy expensive or sold out. Oh well, it really isn't that big of a deal b/c I will be with Jess and I am sure we can find something fun to do.
I am really looking forward to this event. I want to get some experience with this distance so my goal is just to finish and to see what longer distance racing is all about. I like this position b/c I don't know what to expect and I am just going to go out there to have fun and learn all that I can. Plus, it helps that the race is set in a beautiful place and I will have Jess with me to enjoy the experience. I am thinking I will bring the portable shower so that I can get cleaned up for some wine tasting and a nice restaurant after the race =) Forget the gatorade and the dried out cookies and fruit...we will be in the heart of wine country!
I have always wanted to qualify for Kona (Hawaii Ironman World Championships) and I plan to chase this qualifying spot next year. So, this is the first step toward achieving this goal...get some experience this weekend and be more aggressive next year when I go for a slot to Kona. Kona really is the pinnacle of the sport and I want to do it before I stop racing at a higher level, which is why I am going to try for a spot next year.
After this weekend I will be back to another hard training block in which I will really dial up the intensity. Ogden is just around the corner so I will be putting in some very hard sessions. Well, that's it from here. Have a good weekend and stay tuned for a race report from Vineman.
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