Xterra Snow Valley RR

I know I said I was done with tri training for a while, but I just couldn't stay away. Not that I got bored with exclusively cycling, I just find too much joy in swimming and running. So a few weeks back, I figured I'd salvage what I could of my early season fitness and have a go at Snow Valley. With zero pressure to qualify for world's or Nationals, I figured I'd show up and throw down absolutely everything I had and see what happened. I was out to have fun and smash myself along the way. It turned out to be a great day. Big Bear in the Summer NEVER disappoints; friggin' love it up there. 

Like the race kit? It came with the new job! While I didn't totally quit lifeguarding, I took myself off the schedule for July and August and started working for B&L Bikes staring in late June. Working     two jobs and going to school was hellish for while, but year-round employment and STEEP shop      discounts will be perfect for me in the long run. My co-workers are awesome, we get along great and the parade of pro triathletes and super fast amateurs coming through the shop is always cool.          

Shot of T2 from the base area. The swim and T1 are half way up the slope, which makes for         interesting race logistics, but probably the only Xterra with a net elevation LOSS. Good news for   all you Gonzos out there who love bombing descents like I do. Steeper than it looks!                     

Coming past T2 to finish out the initial 1/2 lap. Notice the Tri shoes! Saved me huge time in transition despite having to use road pedals. TriVents are drilled for 3-bolt cleats and my MTB cleats are 2-bolt. Little did I know there's an adapter and I didn't figure that out until I got home from work...after all the bike shops are closed. So on with the road pedals and cleats: I figured if I had to walk this course, I deserved to ruin my carbon soles. The shoes were amazing! Super light and stiff!

Heading out to finish the bike course. You can see in the above pic the guy I had just passed on the downhill. I tried dropping him on the flat section and then tried hanging with him on the climb, but he had a 7-pound advantage on his S-Works hardtail. I found out on Saturday that my "race bike"           weighs 26 pounds. Ouch.                                                                                                                       

Finishing up the bike leg and getting out of my shoes. Saving time everywhere I can. Seriously, if        you're not getting off and walking, what does it matter what shoes you wear?                                    

I vaguely remember hearing some people yelling for me, but I was so focused and on the limit that I      didn't even see who it was (thanks Allison and Justin! LOL!). You can barely see me bent over in the back ground (shoot the moon!), but the dude in the foreground is about to get a lesson in Transition 101...                                                         

See ya! That's how it's done people.

The guy in front of me was the one I battled with on the bike course. I chased him for the majority of the run course and put in some HARD efforts on the really steep stuff trying to reel him in, no dice. The "rock on" sign from me is because I hit the trash can with the aid station cup with an over the shoulder no-look toss. The volunteer was stoked: "Two points!". That's how I roll, son!  

Finishing up. Smashed. I got caught late in the race and battled with a someone for an overall spot.  We passed each other at least 3 times that I can think of, but I finally cracked in a soft sand climb and he got away. Dammit. Still, I knew I'd given everything I had on that day and was stoked with how it felt regardless of where I placed. A solid race despite a shitty swim.                                                

It's hot...and I'm tired...and racing...at altitude...hurts...

I got my stuff together and started packing up so we could drive the 2 hours home to San Diego since I had a paper due the next day. I heard the announcer calling out names and figured I'd see how I did.

Third in my age group and tenth overall! WOW! Highest Xterra placing for me EVER.

Cool burned wood trophies and a burned leather coaster as a finisher's award. I'm totally blown away since I didn't think I had a performance like that in the tank considering how sporadic training has been lately. Given how crappy Vegas went for me, I really needed a confidence boost training and racing-wise. Too bad I can't afford to race more, who knows what could happen!

Recovery this week with no race plans as of yet, I'm just enjoying training and settling in to the new job.

Hard work pays off!

E.

Old Habits

They're the toughest ones to kick; they've become so ingrained into our personalities, daily rituals and our lives that they become a part of who we are.

I didn't order this...

School is one of those things I've been doing for a really, really long time and though I loathe to call myself a "student" I cannot ignore that I've been in school in some form or another for my entire life. Quite staggering when you really think about it. Meanwhile, Summer School started at the local JC and I'm beginning wrapping up my pre-reqs for Physician's Assistant school. The ironay is that State Parks sent me my background packet to re-do along with a letter stating that everyone on the current hiring list will be selected for the 2010 academy starting in October or for the 2011 academy starting next Spring...if there's enough money. I'm rudderless as far as a career path: PA means more money, but two years of school and $100k in additional debt. Lifeguard/Ranger means 1/2 as much money, but I get to stop being poor almost immediately. I'm familiar with the concept of delayed gratification so spare me the lecture, OK? Thanks!

Students at Miramar College get to swim for free. Woot! Back in the pool and not spending any money to do it = WIN. Unfortunately, the pool feels like it's about 84 degrees and all of the suit dryers are busted. FAIL. The pool is also the local community pool, and Holly says they're probably unplugged becasue the kids play with them. She's probably right.I'm also slowly adding running back into the mix. Mothing structured, but I have a ton of fun trail running and it's a great stop-gap for when I sleep past my alarm and miss a ride. Guess I'm a triathlete no matter what. I'm learning to accept it.
Any ideas on what to do about my career path? I'm lost on that one...

E.

June Gloom

From urbandictionary.com

"...extremely annoying late spring to early summer (and sometimes all summer long) weather phenomenon in coastal Southern California that causes relentless, damp, dreary, miserable weather with drizzle and fog for weeks without end at the beaches. It sometimes spreads into the mountains. This shocks tourists who come to 'sunny Southern California' to instead find themselves in Alaska. It spoils beach days a'plenty and for most locals is the most dreaded time of the year. Number 1 cause for Seasonal Affective Disorder in Southern California. A.k.a. May Gray."

As much as that pertains to the local weather, it applies to my situation as well. The new budget for the State is due out at the end of June and there's lots of uncertainty about what's going to happen with our salary and furlough situation. Couple that with some non-employee friendly policy changes and I'm not stoked on my job at the moment.

As much as I need money to pay for stuff, I friggin HATE it sometimes. Stupid money...

Sure money pays for me to do cool things that make me happy, but it's severely limiting that ablity right now since I don't have any extra to pay for "fun stuff". After crunching the numbers, it looks like I might not get to race any more this season; at $90 a race, triathlon is too rich for us right now. Tack on $70 a month for Master's swim, $24 a month for parking, $190 for a new HRM (my Garmin fell apart), $100 for new running shoes...you get the idea...

Xterra Snow Valley 2008. Jon Clark in the orange camo and me in the orange top in the background. FUN race. Moreover, I got really burned out on the 2-3 workouts a day triathlon grind. Up at O-dark 30, off to swim or ride, run at work on my break (which are getting cut back to 45 minutes, BTW). Come home, eat dinner, collapse into bed, repeat ad infinitum. All that and I might not even get to race again this year because of the cost. I got burned out...no surprise there.

So I looked at WHY I liked racing, what aspect of triathlon kept me coming back since 2003.

Swimming? No way. Every time I'd set my alarm for morning Master's, I'd get a sinking feling in the pit of my stomach. Definitely NOT whay I race.

Running? I'll admit trail running puts a smile on my face, but sharing one Garmin with Holly turned out to be more problematic than I imagined AND I get running injuries far too frequently for me to really enjoy it.

Biking? Well...yes! When I think about which Xterra courses I like and dislike, the deciding factor is always the "fun factor" of the bike course. I love shredding sweet single track and have this odd ability to destroy myself on a bicycle every day without hating it or myself. So I'm going back to where I started: racing mountain bikes.

It's as much a financial decision as it is a personal one; races are cheaper and closer than tris, no more paying for Master's, no more buying running shoes and I don't have to figure out how to get my hands on a new HRM/GPS unit. Score.

I've been not swimming and running for a few weeks and I'm loving it: I can ride to work on recovery days, saving money on gas, and motivation is high. I'm rolling with it.

Plus I have more personal time since I'm no longer constantly prepping for or recovering from workouts. Which left me time to build a wheel for Luke. Cool.There's that saying "make hay while the sun is shining" and that's good advice for me right now.

I'm heading out for a ride. See ya...

E.

Groovy

Memorial Day is right around the corner and with it, the busy lifeguarding season. It amazes me how people are convinced they should only go to the beach between now and Labor Day and I often wonder if the news didn't announce "Beach Season" if people would even notice. Best time to go to the beach? AFTER Labor Day; the water and the weather are still perfect and the crowds are GONE. Try it out and thank me later.

I'm struggling with balancing work and training; tough to do given how variable my schedule can be and that I tend to train best when I can get into a groove and just hammer out the tough sessions. Speaking of jobs, I'm looking around at my options since the seasonal thing no longer works out for me. "The Governator" lost a lawsuit and the courts decided furloughs were illegal or something. Rumor has it our rates might go up to "only" a 5% pay cut or might get cut to a 15% reduction. Eff that. I'm outta there as soon as I find something that pays close to what I make now.

As for training, I jump-started the second 1/2 of 2010 with a TCSD aquathlon (1000 yard swim, 5k run). I was beat from the week, but desperately needed to remind myself that I CAN go fast when properly motivated.

Awesome evening.


I got a lousy start and wound up mid-pack in the swim. I tried all the tricks I knew and just could not get clear. I took a beating the whole way and swallowed a ton of water. I need to swim more...Once I hit the beach, it was game on! I kept thinking how much different Vegas would have went if I'd had legs like this! I could see Beth just in front of me at the turn-arounds and tried like hell to catch her, but just couldn't reel her in. It's like she runs fast or something. CHARRRGE! Mom and Dad stopped by this week to say hello, buy us dinner and drop off my "mail". This $80,000 piece of paper is the most expensive thing I own. Woo...

Dad brought a sixer from their vacation up near Punta Arenas. A decent stout with a solid body and hints of coffee. Nice.

That's it from here. When you're out enjoying the holiday weekend, think of me working my butt off on a crowded beach and be glad you have your 9-5. =)

E.

Vicissitudes

I've been really, REALLY tired since Holly and I got home from Xterra Vegas. I though it might have been residual fatigue from the food poisoning or maybe the 10-hour shifts I've been pulling at work.

After a Facebook discussion with Allison, James, Steph and Trevor and some texting with Vance, it became clear that I needed more time off so I bagged the big weekend I had planned and shut down the training. As much as it hurts me to do so, I'm gonna have to forgo Maui this year and focus on Nationals instead. If I manage to qualify at MTN Champs, I'll have a go at it, but I had planned on peaking for MTN Champs; not happening.

Then Holly calls me from the kitchen the next morning:
"Um...when did you buy DECAF?!"
Me: "What? You're kidding me, right?"
I moseyed into the kitchen and, to my horror, found THIS! DUM, DUM, DUMMMM!! I had mistakenly bought it before the Vegas race. No wonder I've been so tired! I've been missing my crack! LOL! I chucked the impostor in the garbage and picked up some real coffee ASAP. Needless to say, morning's have been much easier to handle. =D

Anyway, since I'm taking some more time off, I've been sleeping in and heading out for whatever I feel like doing on any given day. It's really been helping my mood and I know I'll be better off long-term with the extra rest. Live and Learn.

So Saturday I headed out to the local trail system (Los Penasquitos Canyon) and just cruised around with a rough idea of what trails I felt like riding and how long it would take. Even on a busy trail day, stopping for, horses, kids, moms, dads, dogs, yadda, yadda. I still enjoyed myself where normally I'd be fuming at the people in MY way. A clear indicator I've turned the corner on the fatigue.

Even double track is getting over-grown! Trails are great right now.

Somewhere on the run down "cobbles" I found my smile. Been looking for that.

...and 1/2 mile from the car, I heard and felt a slight "PING" followed by my saddle suddenly dropping. Diagnosis: broken seat rail. It's not my fault, the seat slides back on the rails, which bend and prevent me from putting the saddle where it should be. Having it slammed that far back weakens the rail and it eventually breaks. A new WTB Silverado is on the way and the saddle on the SS will do until then. =D

Tire review (Conti Race King Supersonic):

They're everything you'd expect from a light XC tire: light, grippy and fast rolling. I like how predictable they are in corners, it's easy to ride them right to the limit of what the tire can do and the round profile make the transitions from straight-line riding to cornering seamless. They're also: expensive, they slide out on you if you push them into a corner even a little too hard, the sidewalls are flimsy the tubed versions pinch-flatted on me and the lugs shred FAST (see photo).

I'm thinking of trying them in tubeless before totally giving up on them. Tough call considering the cost and weight is the same as my trusty Larsen's. The grip might be better, but if they're less-durable that's a wash in my book. I'll let you know.

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In other news, brother Steve killed it at Xterra Del Valle, chopping 50 minutes off his time from last year and nabbing 9th in his AG. Holly ran solid at the Malibu Creek 22K (friggin' STEEP) and finished in just over 3 hours. Great job you guys!

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Last thing. Mom called: my diploma came in the mail. Woot! I'm reeling at the fact that I have a degree from a top-10 University. Whoa!

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Easy training this week, testing this weekend and back to some base fitness work. Stoked I can re-do my base with a power meter. Time to get on it!

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E.

Moving On

I got some tough love about last week's results and I definitely I needed the wake-up call. I put way too much pressure on myself to perform at Xterra West and I absolutely caved beneath it. I didn't handle the food poisoning right, swapped tires when I shouldn't have and stressed out about the heat and the course. Dumb.

I absolutely went into last weekend half-cocked; my easy workouts this week have been nothing short of amazing as I wound up dropping 6 secs per 100 in the pool and running incredibly fast in very easy HR zones. Honestly, I think I dug too deep a hole back in February and never got out of it. Looking back at my training data, I should have recognized it and taken some time off. This is where having someone else coach you helps tremendously. Alas, I still lack the funds to hire a coach. Moving on.

Speaking of moving on, my next planned race is Xterra Tahoe City in June. I had planned on racing Xterra del Valle with brother Steve, but my heel and my bank account are still recovering from the Vegas Race. No worries; plenty of racing left!

The Tahoe course looks steep. Here's the course map from the website. For those of you fuzzy on reading contour maps, the more squiggly lines you cross, the steeper it is. The 22 mile bike course has 2400 feet of gain in it. For comparison, San Juan trail is 22.8 miles with 3700 vertical feet. Actually, looking at it like that makes it seem not so bad. Cool! Mountain champs looks WAY worse: 15.5 miles and 3600 vertical feet. Yeeouch! Looks like a great course, though. I'm all over it. Sorry for the .pdf file, I can't seem to embed it in the 'blog. Computer noob!

http://www.xterrabeavercreek.com/images/xterra-mtb-2010.pdf

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Anyway. Rest and relaxation is done and I'm ready to get back to training. I'm re-visiting some base work and transitioning all my bike workouts to power-based. I've seen some improvements just basing my power zones off my approximated FTP and I'm sure I'll see much more improvements once I get my CP zones all dialed in. I'm excited to see what the rest of the season holds. Off to bed; master's swim in the morning...

E.

Dust, Blood and Snakebites (Xterra West RR)

This past weekend, Holly and I headed out to Vegas for the Xterra West Championship. This would be my first triathlon since I broke my hand last year and my first race of 2010. I had high hopes going into my taper, but came down with food poisoning the weekend before. I barely started eating solid foods Wednesday and still felt woozy all the way up to Thursday. Not good, but I'd paid for the race and Holly scored a killer room for next to nothing; we were going.
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My chauffer, sherpa and photog for the weekend. Plenty of traffic all weekend thanks to the Laughlin River Run and an off-road race the same weekend. There was no shortage of awesome views, however, as the desert is in full bloom from all the rain we've had this year. Green desert? Yup.

We made it out to the race site in time for Holly to sign up for the 10K on Saturday, I picked up my race packet and we headed to our hotel to check in. We were fortunate enough to score a room at the MGM Signature for next to nothing. I didn't go crazy taking pictures of the room, but I think the Jacuzzi tub built for 2 tells you how swank the place is. Bell hops and valets kissed our collective asses all weekend. Is this how "the other half" lives? Pretty nice.

Notice how the bike is upside down? My trusty Larsen's were worn out and I'd always been bummed on how heavy they are. Thursday, I swapped them out for some Conti Race King Super Sonics, which shaved about 600 grams (over a POUND) off the bike. However, they wouldn't hold air for more than 20 minutes. Out of time, I pulled the tubeless set-up out and threw tubes in at the hotel Friday before the race...and crossed my fingers.

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Saturday, we got up early and headed over to the race site for Holly's 10K and so I could preview the course. Holly started well and looked like she cruised the whole thing.

She felt like she had a "bad run". I grabbed her timing card while she got some water in and checked it out. Girl got 2nd in her AG. Bad run my ass!

Ta da!

She's doing great and I she's looking good for the Malibu Creek 22K in May. Way to go, babe!

We milled around until the course opened and I headed out. I wasn't stoked on the course, but it favored solid bike handling skills. It was steep and loose with 2 or 3 hike-a-bikes in a row separated by silty, rocky hairball descents. I was running tubes and all I could think was " I sure hope I don't pinch-flat tomorrow".

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It was already blazing hot and super-dry. I talked to Trevor in the parking lot and we both agreed race day would be a war of attrition: flats and dehydration would be the theme for the race for sure.

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Holly and I headed back to the hotel: I put my feet up and started drinking Gatorade and taking electrolyte tabs. She went down to the pool.

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Race morning we got up super early because we had to do the check out nonsense. Late check-out was 11:00 and there wasn't enough time post-race to get back to the hotel and take care of it.

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I went into pre-race mode and it was warming up fast. I made sure to keep sipping on water, trying to stay hydrated.

Out warming up. The race finishes along this ridge and I wanted to run it just in case it turned out to be tricky. It was fine, but I didn't feel "snappy". Mentally, I just felt like I was there to do a job and that was it. No nerves, no excitement, no butterflies. Nothing.

The swim start was really narrow and they were keeping everyone corralled in a very small area. I spied someone warming up in the pool and joined him. Plenty of room!

The pro wave goes off and I get my spot. Soon after they count it down and fire the cannon: 3...2...1...BOOM! We're off and I'm getting pummeled thanks to the narrow start and the bridge the course passes under. I did my best to avoid the worst of the mess and focused on my stroke and looked for someone to draft off. The swim is over before I know it (was that a pro I just passed?). I glance at my watch as I hit hit the beach (24:11?!? Holy sh!t). A PR by almost 2 minutes. The announcer calls out the guy who normally wins 35-39 (Kyle Stock). I look around and he's just passing me so I get on his heels and hit T1 with him. I smoke him in transition and hit the bike course on fire.

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We get to the first series of climbs and it's hot. People are going out way too hard for how hot and steep it is. I get held up a little through the techy spots, but I'm riding well and picking off riders here and there. We get to a section that basically runs straight down a dry, sandy wash strewn with rocks when I feel the unmistakable sensation of my rear tire going down (F*CK!!!). I stop next to a guy already changing a flat: "Welcome to the club!" he cheerfully exclaims. I change it as fast as I can (back on before the guy already stopped!), but the damage is done as I painfully watch dozens of riders go by with my AG on their legs. No Maui slot for me.

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With the flat fresh in my mind, I tiptoe around the rest of the course begging my tire to hold as I was out of tubes. No bottle hand-off on the bike, only cups of water and only one aid station. I drink as much as I can, but I'm getting chills by the end of the bike leg when the breeze picks up. Not good.

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Charging into T2 here, trying to limit my losses.

I hit the aid station immediately out of T2 and walk so I can get all the water down. I start up the hill and I can feel my quads wanting to cramp. It's hot and I can tell I'm dehydrated. Survival mode engage....

Holly: "Good job!"

Me: " I flatted..."

The run was pure survival. I had no snap and wound up walking the steep climbs. Pro men were finishing up as I was heading out. Demoralizing.

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I recovered some and was able to open it up on lap 2 of the run. I could feel some killer blisters forming on my feet from the steep hills. I sucked it up as best I could and managed to finish just under 3 hours. Weak.

Notice the salt stains on my race kit? Yeah, it was HOT!

Those blisters I could feel? They popped...and bled.

Juicy...

I finished 18th in my AG out of 39 starters; 31 finished.

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So what happened?

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-I gambled on lighter tires and lost. Lesson learned.

-Was I not totally recovered from food poisoning? Maybe.

-Should I have run a hydration pack instead of a 24 oz bottle? Maybe, but hydration packs cover a lot of skin and I over-heat wearing them in hot conditions. Besides, my bike split was only 1:35 WITH the flat, I was well-hydrated before the race started, but dehydrated FAST. Maybe I just suck in the heat. Maybe I needed a salt tab on the bike. I'm a little confused on this one.

-I need new racing shoes. My feet are thrashed and it's gonna be a while before they heal.

-I've got some serious bike skills compared to the people I saw tri-poding the descents. SCARY.

-Best. Swim. EVER.

-Need to run more hills and spend more time on the MTB. Quads were hammered by the end of the bike leg.

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Time for a short break while I figure out what to do with the rest of my season. Onward.

~

E.