Back In Boulder

Views from hotel balcony...pretty sweet!
That's a lot of bikes!
They're off...

Unfortunately my photography skills are a bit lacking as I was unable to capture my friends in action...damn! I really enjoyed the time in Penticton and watching the race unfold. It was a fantastic race weekend and my friends put on a good show with their gutsy efforts. I was able to get in some decent training around our schedule including a five hour ride and two hour run. We met up with some super cool peeps from the Seattle area for a swim Friday morning. As one of them initially tried putting her wetsuit on backwards I thought, "What a hack!" Well, not really but it was pretty funny. We shared schads of good cheer and laughs with Sean, Amy, Erin & Stephanie throughout the weekend over meals and a few drinks.

It was refreshing to get out of my normal training environment and meet new people. Boulder is a beautiful place and I always appreciate this giant playground upon my return. I am stoked about the final build leading up to Kona and hopeful the weather will be kind :)

Keep it smooth...

~If you feel so inclined please consider supporting my fundraising efforts in Kona by clicking here...thanks!!

Ironman Canada

I am heading to Penticton, British Columbia this weekend to support a buddy racing Ironman Canada. There are quite a few of my friends racing and I have actually never spectated an Ironman event in person. It will be fun to take in the action and watch the race unfold, all while enjoying the perks of the VIP tent...thanks Michael!

I have heard this part of Canada is stunning & I am looking foward to doing some training in the Canadian Rockies.

Best wishes to everyone racing this weekend!

Keep it smooth...

Modesty: Timeless Style

This morning I completed my long run in the 50 degree rain and I am starting to feel a bit waterlogged from the past few days of training in this inclement weather! Ah well, the moisture is good for the land, or so I keep telling myself. (I also reiterate what I've noted in previous posts - global warming is a total farse and Al Gore is definitely smoking some wacky-tobacky!)

One of the topics I address in speaking to teens, young adults and parent groups is that of modesty. I am in the brainstorming process of organizing a modesty fashion show for teens in Boulder this coming school year. I will admit straight up that as a guy I am not held to the same standards as young ladies & women when comes to having a certain look or style. I believe modesty is not about dressing from the medieval times or looking all drab, boring or frumpy. It is actually quite the opposite. Modest dress reveals the true beauty of a lady in a fun, hip, graceful style that is very intriguing to men. A common question I get from teens and parents revolves around the difficulty in finding a modest swimsuit that is still stylish. I can completely understand their frustrations, especially after seeing some of the hideous styles of "modest" swimwear on the internet. There is hope though thanks to the efforts of a humble and talented actress/model/designer by the name of Jessica Rey who recently launched Rey Swimwear. I applaud Jessica's work in offerring a line of swimwear that is stylish, fun & hip while complimenting the true beauty of a woman. She and her friend also have a blog dedicated to capturing every day styles of modesty called 100 Percent Fad Free.

By no means am I the fashion police...and yes modesty applies to guys as well.

Keep it smooth...

Go USA!

With the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games underway I want to send a shout of support to friends Matt Reed (triathlon) & Sheila Taormina (modern pentathlon) as they look to bring home some hardware! I look forward to following all the Olympic action, even if I have to watch things unfold on my computer.

My beloved Ergomo is dead...I apparently fried the display unit after soldering some wires together on the data transfer cable then plugging the unit into said cable for downloading. No sparks were flying but dang did that little computer get hot! So much for the electrical skills I learned in my 7th grade shop class. So, the question at hand...what do I do about a power meter? Hmmm...as Ergomo has seemingly dropped it's US distributor and securing service is a giant pain in the arse, I will most likely roll with an SRM from the good fellas at Jack & Adam's.

The race scene heats up locally this weekend with the 5430 Kids' Triathlon today and the 5430 Long Course (half IM) on Sunday. This will be the first time I have not raced the 5430 half since moving to Boulder, but I am looking forward to taking in a bit of the action early Sunday morning. Best wishes to all my friends for a great race!

Looking ahead to the Ford Ironman World Championship I have kicked off my Tri for Life fundraising campaign to support a non-profit organization called Mother & Unborn Baby Care. This wonderful organiztion provides support and services to families facing an unplanned pregnancy in the metro Detroit area. If you would like to join me in my efforts please visit my fundraising website.

Keep it smooth...

K2

A college buddy of mine is an uber-climber (this is perhaps an understatement upon reading his summit resume) and is currently in base camp on K2 following the tragic avalanche...and I thought Ironman racing was tough! Check out his blog with updates from the mountain at http://www.k2klinke.blogspot.com/ Chris' motto is "Climb hard. Climb high. Come home."

Keep it smooth...