Oh, That's Gonna Leave a Mark...

Out on an easy spin to flush the legs yesterday, I got tagged by an elderly woman driving her car who didn't see me when she was making a turn. I am very thankful to my Guardian Angel and God for watching over me as I survived with a concussion and some road rash. My bike seems to be in good working order as well. This was my first "serious" accident involving a car and I got my eggs scrambled pretty well, but shouldn't be set back too much by it. It happened in kind of slow motion and I remember thinking at the moment before impact, "Oh shit, this is gonna hurt!" A big kudos to my friends - Kristin, Terra, Zane, Shelly, Joseph and Matt for their concern and help along with my family and friends in Boulder. It's comforting to have such a top notch support group! This was my second visit to the ER room while visting Austin the past two times...hmmmmm....

Keep it smooth....

Well, the time is going fast here in Austin. Having begun my main build for IM Arizona in addition to a few speaking engagements has kept me out of trouble and away from the computer! It's been great hanging with my coach Zane and his wife Terra. My friend Kristin arrived last Thursday and all of us (yes, Zane is back to some training) are enjoying the training, encouragement and sharing some meals. Weather has been a bit cooler than desired, but beats the cold and snow back in Boulder. The days are being consumed with training, eating, training, sleeping, eating, training...you get the picture.

Keep it smooth...

Arrival in Austin...

Ventured from the cold of the Rocky Mountains to the warmth in Austin for a few weeks in preparation for IMAZ. It's been good times staying with my coach, Zane, and his wife Terra. Vatolovato is also here and stayed with us for the first weekend...good laughs! Weather has been decent and things rolling well (minus the cleat incident and getting lost on my bike and in car a few times). It's kind of cool to be able to train at sea level and actually breathe! Beyond the training and I have several speaking engagements on the calendar and looking forward to those. It's a true blessing to have the opportunity to train full-time and talk to young people about God's plan for love in their lives. It's really quite humbling...a tough day of training is always put in perspective after talking with some teens who are struggling with some life issues. Well, need to make this brief as a nap beckons before hitting the Barton Springs "pool".

Keep it smooth...

Back in the saddle....

So, Simon sends out an email encouraging the start-up of the Wednesday/Saturday group rides. Sounds like a good day with the boys on the bike, so I respond with a definitive "IN". Start time for today's effort - 11 am at a conveinent meeting place for all...11 am and three of us - Simon, Richard (Simon's cronie from the UK) and me. Being the first "group" session since the summer, maybe some of the fellas are running late. So we wait, for a good 5-6 minutes...that's pretty generous. I mean, who wants to sit out and wait in the fricking cold for guys with no sense of being prompt. The three of us make our way north of Boulder into the wind towards Carter Lake. Richard was feeling a bit fatigued and had a shorter ride scheduled (those darned ITU guys!) so that left me and Simon...so much for "hiding" in the pack. As we made our way after the back descent of Carter Lake lo and behold we cross paths with the other knuckleheads...Curt, AJ and Michael. Don't get me wrong, they're stand-up lads, but what part didn't they understand of "We will meet at 11 am." Ah, it's all good...they'll be in the mix next go around.

Keep it smooth....