Guys Night Out

We are finally enjoying some splendid weather in Boulder. The weekend saw temps in the 70s on Saturday and creeping into the 80s on Sunday. It was so nice to ride sans arm warmers, gloves and yes, even toe covers! I was out riding with JZ on Friday and asked her when she thought we could take those damn things off our cycling shoes. "NEVER" was her response :)

A solid weekend of training was highlighted by a 9,000+ feet day of climbing with a few of the fellas on Sunday. I was crowned jackass of the group with a flat while climbing St. Vrain Canyon and then upon stopping at the renowned Ward Store realizing I left my cash, ID, house key and phone at the lovely Raymond Store (our first stop climbing up to the Peak to Peak Highway). The guys were actually very cool with it and we had a few good chuckles.

The real laughs were over dinner and few adult bevies with the guys on Saturday night. Colorful and animated conversation seemed to flow easily with everyone taking his fair share of jabs at one another. Even Wes, the guy with a busted scapula from crashing during the Bus Stop ride, was not immune from the banter.

Several folks are traveling this weekend for races at Wildflower, Tri One O One Bradenton and some far-away ITU World Cups...wishing them the best!

Keep it smooth...

Rain, Snow, Sun

The last forty-eight hours has been a mix of some rather unseasonable weather. After a day of cold, rain and bit of snow it was great to see the sun return today. The mountains looked beautiful this morning capped with fresh, white snow against the blue sky background. Sure a picture would have been nice, but trust me, it was a dang good view.

My appointment with the orthopaedic confirmed what I suspected...a developing stress fracture. Good news though as it is healing quite well and I should begin a run protocol (on land) within the next week and a half per my top notch PT, Bob Cranny. Until then...more deep water running. On the training front, the bike and swim are progressing as planned per my zen triathlon coach, Zane Castro of Austin, TX. We had a lengthy chat last night about some specific targets in the pool and in the saddle as well as my upcoming race schedule. Zane has been great in keeping me patient and focused. I am also grateful for the support from my sponsors. Their understanding of my situation allows me to go about my business stress-free.

Quick Training Week Recap:

Monday - yoga 1:00, PT exercises & core :45, swim 1:15
Tuesday - deep water run 1:15, PT exercises :25, bike 2:30 with a series of HITs (high intensity intervals)
Wednesday - deep water run 1:00, swim 1:30, bike 2:30 with 90 minutes tempo, PT exercises & core :45

Keep it smooth...

Climbing Big Thompson

After an early morning swim I rode one of my favorite climbing routes today with a few friends (Chris McDonald, Marilyn MacDonald - engaged, but similar last names & Billy Edwards) up Big Thompson canyon to Estes Park and down through Lyons. The ride has stunning scenery, less traffic than the other canyons and features a series of short, steep switch backs at the end. The view at the top of this long climb is stellar and the gradual descent down into Estes Park provides a chance to take in the surrounding mountains. We saw a herd of Elk today grazing in a large, open field before reaching our refueling stop. From there, it was a short climb out of Estes Park then a screaming descent down to Lyons. Note of interest...riding to our starting point a bird made a deposit on my shoulder. I thought to myself, "Is this a sign of what to expect on this ride?" We had a great weather and I rode well today, despite having to walk my bike up a portion of the steep switch backs on account of a trashed hub. It was good for some laughs though with Chris shouting as he passed me, "Dude, you are walking faster than I am riding."

Injury update...I have a follow-up appointment with the orthopaedic tomorrow afternoon to review my bone scan and the radiologist report. More on that later.

Keep it smooth...

Indoor Pool Community

Spending the past several weeks running in the indoor pool at our lovely FAC I have had the pleasure of getting to know a whole different type of athelte. Most of the folks who swim the 23 and change yard pool are over the age of 55. The average length of time spent in the pool per swim is 25 minutes. Hey, I have to occupy my mind in some way during these "run" sessions :)Some are new to swimming and not quite sure what lurks in the outdoor pool and craziness of the masters swimming scene. It is most definitely a "mellow" atmosphere unless Verne Scott (father of "The Man") has his Platinum Rockers in there making waves. They are a group of athletes 70 plus years young. The lone woman of the group is just learning to swim at the spry age of 78 and one gentleman just learned to do a flip turn!

NHL action tonight as the Wings look to go up 3-0 on the Flames...Go Wings!

Keep it smooth...

Go Wings

The storm predicted to hit us with some of the white stuff on Friday blew south of Denver. This is a good thing because the thought of putting in more CompuT time was starting to give me a rash. Solid training yesterday with an early morning run (water), bike with some HIT's and late afternoon swim. Riding long today with some of the local yahoos. I'm sure the banter will be entertaining as usual. Kicked back last night with a dvd, "The Pursuit of Happyness". Great film based on the true story of Chris Gardner who became a Wall Street mogul after struggling with hard times and being homeless. Will Smith and his son are fantastic in playing the father-son characters.

I will be sending postive thoughts to all my friends racing IMAZ today...Amanda, Joanna, Rhonda (one of my athletes), Terra, Barry, Glen M., Glen N., James, Michael, Patrick & all the others!

Spring is one of my favorite seasons and the NHL play-offs are in full swing. The Red Wings opened their quest for Lord Stanley with a 4-1 win over the Flames and look to increase that lead later today. Go Wings!! I have a bone scan scheduled for tomorrow morning and follow-up appointments with my PT and doctor later in the week.

Keep it smooth...

Ouch!

Happy Christer! Kinda feels like Christmas and Easter here in Boulder. I took advantage of the unseasonable weather for a 2:45 ride on my mountain bike. It was a hoot riding through the snow, slush and sleet. My body was comfy with a few layers. Only downside was slamming the pavement on my injured hip after my rear wheel kicked out from a small patch of ice I just happened to encounter. Got my eggs scrambled a bit with some dizziness, minor road rash and bone bruise. It does not appear to have affected the injury I'm trying to heal...keeping my fingers crossed :)

Keep it smooth...

Moving Forward

My visit with the orthopaedic doc confirmed what I suspected...a likely stress fracture. Good news though as it is definitely on the mend and feeling so much better from a week ago. The doctor advised me to continue working with my top-notch physical therapist, Bob Cranny of Altitude Physical Therapy. Anyone in the Boulder area seeking treatment from a PT should schedule a consult with Bob. He and his wife Sandy are great people and exceptional athletes. Having raced all the distances in triathlon and several IM events, including Kona, they get it :) While my race schedule for May is subject to change I am confident my return to running on land will be timely. So the plan is to be diligent in taking care of the little things, listen to my body and continue to progress on the bike & in the water.

Like most of the country east of the Rocky Mountains, we are being hit with some cold & snowy weather. I enjoyed a solid swim this morning in the brisk temps. Fun seeing my friends Erin & JZ at the pool...they were swift and sleek in their Helix wetsuits. Looking forward to sharing some laughs with friends at dinner tonight, even if we have to be on our best behavior to avoid embarrassing my friend Lara whose parents are visiting.

I pray you have a healthy, happy & blessed Easter weekend!

Keep it smooth...

Back In Boulder

My flight back to Boulder late Tuesday was uneventful, aside from the poor woman sitting next to me who got sick as we made our descend into the mile high city. I ran, rather, walked into my friends Erin & Laura at the San Diego airport. They were returning from their Team Timex camp and we were all on the same Frontier flight into Denver. It was great to chat with them and hear about their four day camp. They looked sharp sporting their new Timex jackets and bags. I spent the morning catching up on emails, unpacking and writing coaching plans for my two athletes. It was then off to the pool for a deep water tempo run. Yes, I know, how does one do a tempo run in the water. It felt good and I enjoyed the "feel" of running. I had the pleasure of hooking up with BD, one of my sponsors (www.gomongo.com), and Ted Kennedy, who runs the CEO Challenge, for a pleasant bike this afternoon. Tomorrow morning I will be heading to the doc's office for an evaluation and perhaps an MRI. Gotta fly to swim practice...

Keep it smooth...

My First DNF

It has been a rather frustrating three weeks in dealing with an injury which has limited my ability to run. I headed to Oceanside for Ford California 70.3 Ironman knowing my race day was going to be suspect to a potential early end. Saturday morning I could not complete my pre-race run warm-up and things pretty much went south from there. I pride myself in having a strong mind and planned on nailing the swim & bike. Things just simply did not come together and I retired from the race after hobbling through T2. While I am disappointed with my effort in the portions of the race I was able to complete, I understand it is a long season. I am in San Diego through late Tuesday and have an appointment set with an orthopaedic early Thursday.

Beyond the injury, it was a great race weekend. A hearty congrats to my training partners from Boulder and my teammates on their efforts! I was able to spend some quality time with my Dad and appreciate the support from my family, friends and sponsors. Sunday I had an all-day photo shoot with two of my teammates (Kathryn & Peter) for some Team Sport Beans/NTTC ad campaigns. It was a hoot with lots of laughs :) and I was pretty shelled by the day's end.

I enjoyed a chill day in Encinitas with a buddy from MI today and look forward to my return to Boulder.

Keep it smooth...