Sedona's Goodwill Ambassador

If you have ever traveled to Sedona, AZ you might have crossed paths with Gator, Sedona's self-proclaimed goodwill ambassador. More on this character in a moment.

Along with my teammate Leah Daugherty, I traveled to Sedona for a Sport Beans photo shoot on Monday. Sedona is an incredibly beautiful place and it is on top of my list for a camping, hiking and backpacking trip. The red rock canyons are absolutely stunning. The photo shoot team was comprised of Rob (Jelly Belly's director of marketing), Kelly (co-owner of Nice Advertising), John Segesta (rock star photographer - if you read Triathlete Magazine or Inside Tri, then you've seen his work) and John #2 (John's partner/assistant). At 7:30am we gathered in the lobby of our comfy accommodations at the Sedona Hilton Spa & Resort and then ventured out for the morning shoot. Below are some pics of the location with Leah & I having fun between set-ups. This area was incredible with plenty of scenic trails to run and hike.

The afternoon shots were done up one of the other canyons outside Sedona. We had to drive about six miles up one of the most rough roads I have ever traversed, but it was well worth it. Similar to the morning shots we did more "rock runs" and I got to play around on a mountain bike. The effect of the natural lighting as the sun set in and around the canyon was pretty sweet and I was ready for a hot shower and some hearty eats as we wrapped things up around 5:45pm. I was really blown away by God's incredible creation in such stunning scenery.

It was a quick trip with an early morning flight Tuesday departing Flagstaff at 7:30am. Back to my buddy Gator. He was the driver arranged to shuttle me and Leah to the airport. He greeted us at 6:00am in his pimped out Lincoln fully equipped with a set of steer horns on the front. I was pretty certain this would be an entertaining ride for the 40 minute drive back up to Flagstaff and Gator did not disappoint. He shared with us his 17 year carrer in the rodeo riding buck horses and finishing up his career as a rodeo clown. There are two types of rodeo clowns - the ones who pop up and down in the barrels to entertain the crowd and the ones who look after the riders. Gator was the latter clown. He was an original cowboy alright and proceeded to tell us the guys wearing helmets and kevlar vests are, well to put it politely, just a bunch of pansies!

This cowpoke is in need of some sleep.

Keep it smooth....

Brad

Tucson Pics

gotta love Chipolte
coming down Phoneline Trail in Sabino Canyon

cactus everywhere, including my shin

Terrific in Tucson

Pictured at right is the view from Windy Point up Mt. Lemmon (14 mile mark & approx. 6,400 ft). This past weekend was fantastic in being part of the 4th annual ICTN training camp. God is simply amazing! I was part of the pro panel which included Jamie Whitmore, Kirk Nelson & John Shelp. This was my first time at the camp it was an incredible opportunity for personal growth physically, emotionally, intellecutally & most importantly spiritually. We had athletes from Canada and throughout the United States in attendance with a wide range of experience & ability. The camp structure included big group sessions, smaller break out sessions and several training sessions. I spoke on the topics of mental toughness - traithlon's fourth discipline and going long - 140.6 opportunities to glorify God. The group training sessions were great and I really enjoyed swimming, biking and running with the other athletes. I found the messages given by the pastoral team to be freakin' awesome. For those of you reading this who are not Christian, understand this camp is not about sitting around and singing kumbaya for three days, but rather coming together for fellowship, sport-specific seminars on various topics and some group training. It was incredible to see the transparency of others in the sport sharing their strugges and experiences from sport and life. My calendar is marked for next year's camp and I highly recommend making it part of your winter base training in 2009!

Kirk and I entertained the group at times as we threw zingers at one another in jest with our smack talk. We capped a wonderful weekend with a competitive round of min-golf with Jamie, her husband Courtney & Brian Grasky who was one of the camp's organizer. I took home the cup with a solid round of 46.

Our friend Kathryn has been a wonderful host. She is a Cat 1 cyclist who I first met a few years ago in Boulder and we were teammates for a couple of years on Team Sport Beans/NTTC. She is super witty and a damn good cyclist. Check out her regular column titled "So You Want to Be an Olympian at ESPN. Just type her name "Kathryn Bertine" in the search engine. At the moment she and Kirk are engaging in a bit of smack talk of their own which is pure entertainment for me...Kirk just doesn't know when to quit...more brawn than brains.

Keep it smooth...

Brad

Road Kill Seasons

As I was enjoying a super ride today in the surprisingly still winds I noticed a lot of road kill of the shishka-bunny variety. Having been educated on wildlife behavior via an annual subscription to Ranger Rick from my grandmother when I was a kid, here's my highly trained observation on seasonal road kill in Boulder:

Spring - prarie dogs
Summer - snakes
Fall/Winter - rabbit

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I am hooking up with my brother this weekend for some fun in the mountains. He has one of those cushy orthopaedic "medical conferences" in Vail...should be fun times with a bit of cross training in the mix.

Next week I am heading down to Tucson for a week of training and the ICTN annual camp. This is my first go with this training camp and I am excited to be part of it. I will be giving two presentations on mental toughness and 70.3/IM training & racing in addition to leading a few training sessions. My buddy Kirk & I will get in a couple of days training on our own pre & post the weekend camp. I have never trained in Tucson and I am looking forward to it!

Keep it smooth...

Brad

People of Influence

While riding today I saw a cow knawing on a plastic bottle and another enjoying the fine taste of some black plastic construction tarp. Hmm, what gives?? Well, I started thinking why would those cows be eating such unflavorable items when they could be grazing on lip-licking greens of the vast pasture?!? Did something or someone influence their decision...a lame attempt at some kind of intro to this post...

The other day I was thinking about all the incredible people in my life who have had some kind of positive influence. Perhaps you too have pondered such thoughts. Here are a few who came to my mind:

God - He has been smacking me upside my head for quite some time and I trust He will continue to be with me even when I stumble or choose not to listen :)

Mrs. Reutnik - my kindergarten teacher; she had the coolest toys in her class

Lona & Albert Ingraham - my grandparents on my mom's side of the family; Maine dairy farmers who had a work ethic like nobody's business; Granddad had a typical New Englander sense of humor and Grandmother could make a wicked tasting molasses cookie (along with so many other things - she was a freaking incredible cook :)

Maggie Zidar - 9th grade English teacher; she was one of my favorite high school teachers, inspired me to eventually teach high school English & she was a runner (still running as far as I know)

Tim Kring - kid on my high school soccer team; hearing impaired but that did not limit his ability to be one hell of a soccer player

Rob Mackle - he was summer swim team stud when I was knee-high to a grasshopper; saw him on tv one day racing IM and thought, damn I want to do that!

Barry Sanders - being a Detroit Lions' fan, Barry was pure entertainment when he would make opposing players look silly trying to tackle him; most importantly though I admired his humility and the way he carried himself on the field; the guy scored boat loads of td's and never once did you see him pound his chest, dance, etc. he would simply hand the ref the ball

Just a few of the folks who have left a mark with me.

Keep it smooth...

Brad

Happy New Year

2009 New Year Resolutions

Get my bum down to Denver (via bus as it adds to the adventure & eco-friendly:) more often to visit museums, art galleries, clubs for live music & out-of-the-way eateries.

Take a cooking class or experiment in my own kitchen using variety of unfamiliar ingredients, foods, etc.

Make a three to four day retreat at St. Benedict's Trappist Monastery in Snowmass, CO to "hone my chi".

Organize a training weekend at altitude and out of the Boulder "bubble".

Go camping, fishing & horseback riding. (not at the same time :)

Answer my phone when it rings while I am eating supper.

Continue to strive to be a good person and all that personal growth mumbo-jumbo.

May you enjoy a healthy happy & peaceful 2009!

Keep it smooth...

Brad

Random Questions

While finishing up my ride today with Kurt (thanks dude) and to distract my mind from the numbness setting in on mi bones I began to ponder a few random questions I have been asked recently. In no particular order:

1. Brad, why don't you have a girlfriend? Do you play for the other team? No, I do not play for the "other team" and do not judge those who do. I have been in several wonderful relationships and know what is to love and to be loved. Am I open to a relationship? Absolutely, but not for the sake of simply being in a relationship. Do I have commitment issues? No. Do I find women attractive? Yes.

2. Brad, are you a devout Catholic? Hmmm...I am Catholic and continue to grow in my faith. Since moving to Colorado I have been challenged on many levels...physically/mentally thru sport, emotionally in taking some risk in leaving friends, job, etc. to pursue triathlon and spiritually in not compromising who I am for the sake of gaining approval. I am not a choir boy nor was I ever an altar boy. I went to Catholic grade school for 1st through 3rd grade before moving to the public school ranks. We are all imperfect and I find myself stubbling quite often in this race of life. I know a few Bible verses and live by a simple motto which I learned from Gilbert Tuhabonye: love God, love people.

3. Brad, what are you using for a powermeter this year? Still sorting that one out and will roll with either SRM or PowerTap. My Ergomo is simply a glorified bike computer at the moment as it only gives me speed, hr and distance.

4. Brad, do you still live with Pete? This is a funny one because another athlete asked me this at 70.3 World Championship who I have not spoken to in probably two or three years and she is the one who connected me with Pete. Long story short, Pete was looking for a roommate and I was looking for cheap housing when I first moved to Boulder. Initially, I was thinking alright cool dude, quiet, clean, comfortable place. It will work for a while until I get to know Boulder. Four years later my parents frequently ask me if I am going to ever remove my belongings from their home. Pete's place is as close to FAC as one can be and our balcony is within spitting distance of the pool. I'm actually thinking it would be fun to launch water balloons from it some time. One word sums up why my bum has not moved out of here...convenience baby...oh I guess that's two words. I have been looking for my own place on and off and will continue to keep my ears to the ground.

So there you have it - a small glimpse into my psyche. My nickname in high school was Psycho, so maybe you don't really want that glimpse.

Keep it smooth...

Brad

Merry Christmas & All That Jazz!

Wishing all my family, friends and you the best this Christmas season! A wonderful Christmas eve spent at the Reeds' with many of my Boulder friends (loved the ginger bread cookies) and hitting midnight Mass in a couple of hours (yes, it really starts at midnight :) The excitement of the kids was so cool and reminded me how crazy me, my brothers and sister used to get at Christmas. It would be like a 24 hour storm whipping through my grandparents' house in either Maine or Indiana. Good times for sure! My family is scattered throughout the country this Christmas and we actually had our big family Christmas celebration over the Thanksgiving weekend back in Michigan.

Enjoyed a great swim this morning followed by a ride outside this afternoon with some big gear work. Tomorrow will be pretty chill with an easy run or snow shoe outing and easy spin. Hooking up with friends later in the day for a very casual Christmas dinner.

Thanks for reading and sending you Christmas blessings!

Keep it smooth...

Brad

Armstrong or Phelps?

A few nights ago I was out with the guys for some ginger ales (as famed Red Wing broadcaster Micky Redmond would say) and the topic of conversation at one point focused on the question - Who's a better athlete, Lance Armstrong or Michael Phelps? This sparked some heated debate and I think in the end we really did not come to a consensus. However, when phrased as "Who has more mental toughness?" it seemed Phelps was the winner. No doubt Lance is incredibly focused and mentally tough as nails. However, it was argued that Phelps' ability to overcome the hype/pressure during the Olympics in addition to the fact the guy has stared at a black line on the bottom of a pool for thousands and thousands of meters gives him the edge mentally.

As far as the greatest athlete, I would throw out a decathalete as he/she has to excell in ten different athletic events. Just my HOP.

Keep it smooth...

Brad

Gettin' Back Up

With plenty of early morning sunshine, blue skies and the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains I ventured outdoors for my morning run. It was a tad windy but I found myself really enjoying the run and crisp December air. Through my warm-up I began to reflect on the many blessings in my life (family, friends, good health, beautiful place to live & train, etc.) and how often I take these things for granted. Earlier in the week my cousin sent me this clip from YouTube which certainly grabbed my attention. After watching it I realized how often I complain when the weather does not seem ideal for training or the times I get frustrated when the computer is having a "moment". It is so easy to get distracted and waste energy on the little things in life, especially when they do not seem to be so rosy.

Nick's passion for life is infectous and has inspired me to persevere, keep working and get back up when I stumble (and I will stumble!)

Keep it smooth,

Brad

Winter Training

Things have been rolling along pretty well since my return to training. I really enjoy the base work done this time of year with the inclusion of yoga, strength training, snowshoeing and skate skiing. Between the two snow storms we've had the weather has been quite "balmy" with temps in the upper 40s and lower 50s. The blue sky, loads of sunshine and backdrop of snow-capped mountains makes for scenic training. I know there are some boo-nasty cold days on the horizon, but for now I am eager to get my bum out the door.

As the holidays get closer it seems like time goes faster. My roommate and I are hosting our 3rd annual "Yeah, I Look Good In a Speedo" party this weekend. The last couple of years have been quite entertaining and I surmise this year will bring more good cheer. The highlight of the evening will be a visit from Santa for the white elephant gift exchange. I wonder if Santa is going to do any Jell-o shots this year???

Thanks for reading!

Keep it smooth,

Brad

To Turkey Trot or Not To Turkey Trot

With my break from training I will not be partaking any of this year's turkey day ramblings. The past couple of weeks have been great with a few hikes, soaks in the hot tub, foosball matches and numerous speaking engagements in Colorado, Michigan & Ohio. I did make a return to swimming with a very easy swim yesterday at the local Y here in Michigan. Hitting the Piston's game tonight with some family & friends and the Red Wing's game on Friday before heading back to Boulder on Monday.

I am sorting out my race schedule for 2009 and look forward to meeting my new Team Sport Beans/NTTC teammates Jessica Jacobs & Daniel Bretscher at our upcoming team camp.

Hope you and your's enjoy a healthy, safe & blessed Thanksgiving holiday!

Keep it smooth...

Brad

IM 70.3 World Championship Race Report

After a snappy recovery from the Ford Ironman World Championship I found myself heading south to the white sand beaches of Clearwater, Florida for the Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 World Championship. I was looking forward to a fun race weekend with several of my friends also competing.

Swim - 26:04
As the sun began to rise with very little wind and calm Gulf waters I knew it was going to be a cracker of a day for racing. I found the beach start quite civilized compared to the pre-race jostling, inching forward and chatter that was going on in Kona this year. The cannon blew and we were off. Having a lunch bet on the line with my Team Sport Beans/NTTC teammate Kirk Nelson for first out of the water there was a little bit of extra incentive for a fast start. I had a clean start with a good line and found myself swimming well with a small group. About 800 meters into things the group splintered and I was giving a ride to a couple of guys. I simply kept up the effort and felt good in the water. Upon exiting the water I really did not know if I beat Kirk out, but while sorting things out in the change tent I spotted him coming into the tent after me. Turns out Kirk beat by 30 seconds and got hung up trying to locate his gear bag, thus I was in the tent just ahead of him. I honored our bet with lunch at the Denver International Airport while we waited for the bus to take us back to Boulder on our return.

Bike - 2:13
I was forewarned to be speedy in transition in order to get a jump on the bike. I was also told to not be surprised about groups forming. Early into the bike I found myself in a group of 10 athletes. I am almost embarrassed to reference the fact I was in a "group" as I do not believe this is how a non-drafting, world championship event is to be raced. We had a marshal with us for the majority of the ride and I did not witness anyone full-on drafting, but it certainly made for an interesting 56 mile ride. At times I was frustrated as there was no room to safely get around and pass another athlete and I was forced to actually sit up and coast or soft pedal to avoid a serious draft. The course is virtually flat aside from the short climb up and over the causeway leading away from Clearwater Beach.

Run - 1:16
Throughout the first four miles of the run my dogs were barking. It seemed like it took a long time to get my form rolling. The crowds along the course were very supportive and I actually recognized two spectators who had stayed at the same condo complex as I did in Kona. As I approached the finish line I was pretty stoked to wrap up the 2008 season with a solid effort finishing 36th overall in 3:59.

A huge congrats to my friends JZ (Women's Champion) and Brooke (amateur Women's Champion) for their World Championship titles.

I would like to thank all of my sponsors for their support throughout the race season. I am very grateful to be part of the Team Sport Beans/NTTC family and really appreciate the efforts of Team Director Mark and Stephanie with Jelly Belly. A big thanks to blueseventy, Spira footwear and Mix1 for their support in keeping me swift in the water and on land. I am now enjoying three weeks away from swim-bike-run before getting back to work in preparation for 2009.

Keep it smooth...

Brad

Pics from Clearwater...

Turtles adorn the beach showers

Team Hoyt - a true inspiration

Rick & Dick Hoyt making their way onto the run

Looking to find my run form

A Little Bit of This & A Little Bit of That...

Since returning to Boulder life has been busy with numerous speaking engagements, catching up on emails, etc. and training. The weather has been super nice which has made for some fun sessions. You got to like fall weather filled with blue skies, schads of sunshine and temps in the 60s & 70s! My recovery from Kona has been spot on allowing me to enjoy my current fitness in preparation for one final go for 2008. I am really looking forward to racing at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater. Several of my friends, including Team Sport Beans/NTTC teammate Kirk Nelson, will be racing as well. With the smooth recovery from Kona I have been able to hit things with a bit of spice in all three disciplines. Coach Z has kept the sessions fairly simple with some tempo & threshold work without the typical volume.

Big props to one of my athletes, Shane Niemeyer, for his PR of 9:37 and overall 3rd place finish at last weekend's Great Floridian IM.

I am sending good thoughts to my friends racing IMFL this weekend!

Keep it smooth...

Ford IM World Championship Report

After relaxing for a few days on the beach and taking in some of the local sights I figured it would be a good time to post a race report.

Swim (59:17 - Kona swim PR) I placed myself towards the middle right closer to the pier and had what felt like my best start at this race. I quickly found some feet and was in the middle of a decent sized group which allowed me to limit my sighting. We were swimming right along the buoy line out to the turn around and it was feeling quite comfortable. At times I thought the pace was too comfortable, but did not want to push things and end up swimming solo as I have in the past. My swim fitness has definitely improved, but with a more aggressive start and working things early on I think I can place myself with a faster group. It was good to exit the water with fifteen or so other athelets than one or two as I had in previous years.

Bike (5:17) Immediately out of transition the effort felt really hard and looking down at my front wheel I saw my brake was off center and rubbing. Fortunately it was an easy fix as I was able to reach down and open the brake lever. Riding along the Queen K I was comfortable and focused on my race plan. About an hour into the ride my container of Endurolytes flew out of my side pocket and spilled all over the highway, leaving me with no salt until I reached my special needs bag after the turn around in Hawi. Riding up to Hawi the winds were gaining strength, but I felt stronger than I have in other years. I really began to struggle once back on the Queen K heading back to town with some cramping in my hamstrings. While my body was not responding as I had hoped, I was able to stay strong mentally and complete the ride with my focus shifting to the run. Note to self...do not use aero helmet on the big island as any gains are minimal with the added wind, heat and humidity.

Run (2:49 - IM run PR) With the cramping I felt during the bike I was very uncertain how my legs would feel once on the run. Exiting T2 and finding my way through the cheers of the crowd gathered at the hot corner my legs felt good. Running along Ali'i Drive to the first turn around I felt relaxed, smooth and fluid. My focus was on fueling, hydrating and keeping cool through each aid station while running down as many athletes as I could. It was like a giant game of Pac-Man. The temps really seemed to soar once out on the Queen K and into the Natural Energy Lab. Unlike last year though where I began to break down at this point, I found myself feeling stronger as the run progressed. Over the final four miles I was able to run down several more guys and was very happy to make the final turn on Ali'i Drive and run towards the boisterous finish chute and familiar voice of Mike Reilly.

Total time 9:12 & 48th overall

Congrats to everyone who was racing in Kona and the Colorado contingency - Uli, Glen, Jeff, Tim, Brandon, Justin, Wil & Michael...great work!

Despite a slow bike this was my best performance in Kona and I am pleased with the result. Recovery is going well and I am excited about my final race on November 8th at the Foster Grant 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, FL.

A huge MAHALO to my support team of sponsors (Team Sport Beans/NTTC Racing, TYR, Champion Systems, Rudy Project, blueseventy, Blackwell Research and Mix 1), family & friends. A special thanks to my coach Zane Castro for getting me to the line in good form. I am very grateful for the opportunity to share this experience with all of you. The support and encouragement has been huge in allowing me to be my best.

Keep it smooth...

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Random Race Notes:

Swim - need to continue to work on speed development and mechanics; train body to swim stronger towards the end of key sessions

Bike - power and strength development through more big gear work and climbing; increased awareness of cadence & gearing relationship relative to conditions

Run - focus on maintaining better form over final portion of longer runs

Kona Update

Are we "in training" or "training"?!?
View from scenic overlook along the Queen K

I have been a bit lacking with any updates in a while...things were a bit hectic prior to my Kona departure with training, speaking engagements and the pre-travel hub-ub of things to do. The trip over to the big island went as planned with my arrival last Monday. Training has been going as planned and the legs are coming around. The scene has definitely picked up since last week with more and more atheltes arriving each day. I have enjoyed a wonderful homestay and move into the condo tomorrow. Joanne has opened her home to me the last two visits here and it has been very relaxing. She lives on the mountainside out by the airport so it is nice and chill. I have endulged in her homemade banana & macadamia nut bread and over the weekend she served up a tasty meal of lamb, garlic potatoes and spinach salad :)

My body and mind are in a good place and I am very eager to race on Saturday. Workouts have felt good and the downtime between sessions has been consumed with putting up the legs, relaxing on the lanai, watching tv (I had many laughs taking in the Bad News Bears yesterday :), eating and sleeping.

I will be sure to drop an update post race.

Thanks for reading & keep it smooth...

Harvest Moon Half IM

I am not too certain of the origins of the name of this race which takes place east of the Rocky Mountains in Aurora, CO. Perhaps it has something to do with the rolling hills of the rural country & farm roads on which the bike course traverses. Having never raced this event I was not too sure of what to expect from the course and it was a bit more challenging than what I anticipated.

Props to Ben Hoffman (Durango, CO - 1st overall), Tim Hola (Highlands Ranch, CO - 2nd overall) and my buddy Billy Edwards (Boulder, CO - 3rd overall) for their efforts. I was 4th overall, although not within spitting range of these guys. With the temps hovering around 50 degrees, some wind and lots of cloud cover it was a chilly day of racing! I exited the water a couple minutes down from the leader, Tim Hola, and about one minute behind two other athletes. With a decent swim I was hoping to get things rolling on the bike and bridge the gap to these guys. Apparently my legs did not get the memo that it was a race as these guys opened up their lead on me. About eight or ten miles into the ride Billy came by me and politely informed me I had dropped a bottle or two. I was well aware two of my Sport Bean bottles had launched early in the race altering my fueling plan a bit. Billy rode away from me like I was standing still. Is my brake rubbing? Do I have a flat? Damn you legs! I completed the remainder of the bike with some postive self-talk and hoping the sun would come out to warm my frozen body. Onto the run I felt fairly smooth, but lacked any serious "oomph" to be a threat to the guys ahead of me. I did catch one guy early in the run who ended up with a DNF. The run course was a tricky affair as it sent us weaving, twisting and turning along a combination of trail and mostly concrete walking/bike path around the Aurora Reservoir. I found it difficult to really get into a fluid run rhythm and was glad to finally lose the "concrete" blocks attached to my legs about four miles into it. I completed my day with a 1:23 run.

A big thanks to Billy's fiance, Lara, who was our driver, cheerleader and sherpa for the race. Darrin and the crew at Racing Underground put on some very fun events with a relaxed atmosphere. They served up one of the better post-race spreads I have seen in quite some time with a hearty offerring of bar-b-q and all the fixins!

Thanks for reading and keep it smooth...

Sputter, Sputter

That was the sound echoing from the engine of my trusty 1996 Jeep as I proceeded down the mountain late Sunday afternoon. Coach Z wanted me to complete my long run over hilly terrain and at altitude so I ventured up the canyon to scenic Magnolia Road (well-known among endurance athletes for its challenging terrain & high altitude). Shortly after parking my car and taking a quick leak, my Jeep's radiator took a leak of its own. Hmmm, what are my options...bag run and call for tow service (fortunatley I was in a pocket of good cell phone coverage) or complete run as if nothing happened. I chose the latter. I figured the engine needed to cool down a bit so I might as well get in the work I was there to do. Upon finishing the run I was hoping I could at least get down the canyon and possibly to the shop before blowing the engine. I used all the tricks I knew to keep the engine as cool as possible including blasting the heater to draw heat from the engine & coasting with the car in neutral. As I rolled closer to the outskirts of Boulder the temperature gauge kept moving to the right until it could move no further...it was buried & finally the engine sputtered to a stall. Fastforward to today and I am awaiting the diagnosis, prognosis or some kind of "nosis" from the shop. This has been a great vehicle with 216,000 miles and very few problems outside of the general maintenance.

The work for Kona continues to go well as I enter the final push. As the weather swings towards fall-like temps in Boulder I am hopeful it will hold out for a couple more weeks. The focus will be on quality, rest, recovery, nutrition & staying healthy over the next several weeks. I will have one more hard race effort this Sunday at the Harvest Moon Half IM in Aurora, CO.

Keep it smooth...

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!!