2-28-11 Hoop Dreams

Okay so that race in Tucson last weekend took its toll. I spent the majority of the week tired and was only able to muster an hour a day of training Mon. through Fri. Thank goodness for the weekend ride with Zia Velo or my weekly hrs would have been pretty dismal.

My consecutive streak continues and now I am somewhere around 70 straight days, and yes I am tired! The emphasis has been on the bike because to tell the truth the Gila has me a little worried. On Saturday I was able to get out of bed early and catch the bike team as they were rolling through Mesilla. I am glad I did because we really rode hard, something I just can not match when I ride by myself. We were also able to practice the crit style race which will be on day 3 of the Gila race. I went way too hard and lead most of the times around the loop course, but that's how I feel I improve come tri season.

Saturday after the ride we decided to go visit my family in Socorro and while we were there my brother and I were able take in a basketball game. The Warriors were playing for the district championship. I hadn't been back to that gym in over 20 years, not since we played the very same team (Silver City Colts) for the district championship 23 years prior. The outcome was the same... a Warrior victory! It sorta took me back in time as I looked around the old gym wondering how many of the crowd was sitting there in 1988 when we brought Socorro its first basketball district championship and state birth in school history. Later that night I even had a dream I was back in high school playing ball again. We went on to the State Championship so I hope history repeats itself yet again:)

This week has me itching for Tri-Fest in Tucson in a couple weeks, wanting to buy a new mountain bike, and accepting the position as the boy's track coach for Vista Middle School. What a busy spring it is going to be, but that is the way I like it! Tri-Fest, spring break, and track will take me right up to the Gila race which will cap off in May and directly into triathlon season!! I know I wanted to do as much as possible to get ready for a stellar season, but I wouldn't want to do this much year after year unless I was 20 years younger.

Last week the coach cancelled Levi's soccer practice and he was totally devastated. He cried because he was so looking forward it, was already dressed for it, and had already "pre-hydrated" with a glass of my cytomax. I decide to take him to the NMSU park and kick the ball around with him. We ran the perimeter of the park two times passing the ball back and forth. It was a blast! That was the first time my son and I had really interacted in that manor. I was waiting for him to invite me or for him to be ready to need my help and when it came I couldn't have been happier. As I have gotten older I have come to realize that although its fun to place well at a race or hit a perfect rhythm in my training, there are things that matter more and it will be those things which will ultimately give me the most satisfaction when it's all said and done....

Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Mountain Bikes?? 2-21-11

Wow, what a last week it has been! Last week I was invited to do a 24 hr 4 person team mountain bike race. I met with my new teammates and they informed me they were doing it solely for fun and their only goal was to finish, easy enough. I decided to keep the streak alive and not miss a day of training (day 61) over an event that was "just for fun". The guys on the team were all really cool and anxious to get to Tucson and have some fun.... all night long.

Getting there was going to be an issue for me because I had scheduling conflicts from the get go. Luckily, my bro Danny and his beautiful wife, Misha were headed to Phoenix for the Desert Classic Duathlon. After a feildtrip to El Paso and a ride back with a parent, I was packing my last minute supplies, getting picked up by Danny, crawling in the back of his E-250 cargo van, and headed for Sahuarita, AZ! We arrived at Danny's parents house and the place smelled like HEAVEN! Enchiladas, sopapillas, re fried beans, and tamales. Misha and I quickly changed into our running attire and proceeded to run around the town lake a few times to make room for the enormous amount of home cooked Mexican food in which we were about to consume:) Totally worth it! We then left on Friday morning for the next part of the journey.

After a quick fuel filter change we were on our way to drop me off with JB and Sam then Danny and Misha were headed to their race in Phoenix. The 24 hr race site was about an hour outside of Tucson, tucked in the mountains of Oracle. We arrived to the camp site unloaded our gear and went for a pre ride to test out the course, after all we were going to have to ride it when it was pitch black outside (with the use of a lighting system). Pre ride went well the course was almost the same as when I did the same race in 2002. We rode, drank some beers, ate some pork loins, and had a shot of Jack for good luck and good sleep the night before.

Race day: Now for anyone who has never raced or been to a 24 hr mtn. bike race before, it is chaotic at best (over 3000 people camping together)! There must be one team member who starts the race for the team. The start consists of going down the dirt road about a half mile (500 mtn bikers running in their cleats) run, find your bike, hop on, and blast off to try create some sort of space before the single track starts. I was lined up with some of the best in the business. I had secretly always wanted to start this race, but was a little nervous about that many bikes being on the trail at the same time. I hauled ass to my bike jumped on and was immediately passing as many riders as possible to give myself the best position heading into the dreaded 7 bitches ( a series of 7 steep rolling hills with deep ruts and only a single track through), job well done...until 4 minutes before the exchange tent, that's where the guy right in front of me wiped out pretty hard. So, naturally, I follow suite! F###, I was having a killer lap too! My first lap time was right around an hour and 8 minutes (18 mile loop) when I entered the tent so I figured the wreck cost me about 2-3 minutes. I bent my  rear derailleur, got the chain sucked into my wheel, and had to run it the rest of the way. The pros were right at an hour and was about 7 minutes after them... I was pleased, but my back was killing me and my bike was toast! The race did provide 24 hr mechanic services and the got my bike back to decent running order. I made my way to the massage tent, then the beer tent, then back up to the campsite. The weather did not cooperate at all until my very last lap of the race which was going to be right around 23.75 hours after I had begun:)

Lap 2 was the coldest, most miserable, hypodermic time I have ever spent on a bike. Sam, our fourth leg, wrecked and tore his ACL....OUT! Damn, I am no mathematical genius, but now I was pretty sure that made us a three person team for the rest of the race. I felt the wind moving the camper, but the wind advisory was supposed to lift at 7 (it was 6:30) so I dressed a little light to say the least. About half way around the course it started pouring rain, the wind was blowing 30 mph, and it was hovering around 36 degrees....not a happy camper. Between the rain, the foggy glasses, and pitch black skies, made it almost impossible to see the course; which is littered with sequoia, barrel, and prickly cactus! I made it around and finally back to the camper only to be helped out of my clothing, handed a cold beer, immediately followed by hot broth, vigorously rubbed, and tucked under every blanket we had! I finally warmed up enough for my next night lap and was having an awesome ride, but it was at night (1 am) and my brake pads had just been disintegrated from all the grime, water, and my improper braking technique. I thought I had still managed to nail the lap (who needs brakes) then, WHAMMO! about 3-4 minutes before my lap was done I smashed my front wheel straight into a boulder. I never even saw the thing, but it hurled me through the air and right onto the other side, the one was not injured in the first wreck. This one really hurt... A LOT! People came out of their tents and helped me to my feet, but my poor bike was really jacked this time. I popped the front tire, ripped my seat cushion in half, and jacked up my brake calipers even worst! Once again I ran into the tent and straight to the mechanic tent. I really didn't want to do another night lap and it was a struggle to get back to the camper.

After another massage, ibuprofen number 8, and about 3 hours of pretty sound sleep I was ready to make my way back down to the mechanic tent, get my bike, and head out for the really really cold sunrise lap. The mechanic did an excellent job. New brake pads, cables and housing, duck tape for the seat, wheel truing, and total over haul of my rear brake/shifter control had my baby rolling like a champ. Great morning lap and the course was tight and fast from the rain, plus I had really good working brakes (what a difference)! I finished the lap and went to try to warm up in my sleeping bag. The other two riders, Jeff and JB did their laps and I realized I could actually get a 5th and final lap in. After stewing over the situation for about 5 seconds I told JB to haul ass and I would be there ready for last lap! What a great decision. See, I couldn't leave those mountains without a winning record in the wipe out department. Currently, I was 2 clean runs and 2 Mike going over the bars laps. The final lap was a little emotional for me when I thought back on all the unique challenges the race threw at us as a team and me personally. I haven't wrecked that hard in years and never two times in the same race, but I guess that when you find out what you're made of huh?

I was very proud of the guys on my team, they had never raced mountain bikes before and those conditions were horrid, yet they consistently turned in good lap after good lap. Coupled with the fact that the laughs were plentiful and the race ended just as it began, with a shot of Jack made this one one of the most memorable on record!!  Salud!!

Almost forgot, special thanks to Danny and Misha who picked me up on Ina and Oracle after stellar races on their behalf!! What would this world be like without such friends and family?? I for one am very thankful for the people who matter most in my life!

Now, SALUD!!!

2-13-11 New plans take me back to old places...

Ok so it's pretty official I am going to do the 24 hrs in the old pueblo this weekend! 4 person team, takes me back to 2003 or 4 when I did that same race with some pretty cool dudes and had a blast! This time should be no different then the last. To tell the truth it threw me for a loop, I had no idea that some of these guys had taken up mountain biking...Awesome! The race should be cool, from noon Sat till noon Sun, taking turns around an 18 mile course. It took me the better part of yesterday afternoon to get my light system up and running again, my mountain bike dusted off, and some basic plans on how I will get there laid out. I figure this will be good training for: 1. The Gila 2. Deuces Wild Xterra 3. Maybe my final Tri season. I am excited about this decision to race there again and I've heard the company I am going to be with are really cool dudes... JB, Jeff, and Sam..

Yesterday I decided to ride with the Zia Velo Bike squad, great idea! There were no less than 30 riders out yesterday morning and on a chilly  desert morning I welcomed the warmth a pack provides! I had forgotten how competitive the ride becomes at certain points, but I think I did pretty well considering the amount of time I have spent smack dab in my living room on my spinning bike and NOT outside going up hills, sprinting on the flats, and pulling the pack! A buddy told me, "dude you need to learn to let other people pull, stay tucked in the pack, then at the end blow their doors off." Yeah, I see the point, but it seems I have spent the majority of my life like the drummer for the Muppets? (Animal)?? See I can play nice and in the pack for a while then it gets to me and I just have to make it hurt, so I go to the front and try to widdle the the select group down to three or four who actually deserve to be there not just sit back and suck wheel the whole time. This has always been an issue with me, but I know now what I have failed to realize before, that's how you win bike races, by being smart...not a p###y, but smart. Dammit, why is that such a hard pill for me to swallow? I will ride with them and learn how to let other people work...The ride turned into a 4 hr ride and it was the first time I cramped in a while. The cramps were small, but still an indication that I need to prepare better:)

Today caught me reminiscing about running up A Mountain with my buddies Tony, Glenn, Danny, Jr, and Stermer. Tony is in the east coast, Glenn is in NC, Stermer and Jr, well I hope they are resting in heaven. What a day, almost brought me to tears on the top thinking about everything. The one solid was that I saw my best buddy in the whole wide world someone who has been there for me through thick and thin, someone who has accepted me no matter what, and my adopted brother...Danny. That's the way to end a really good week....church, family, friends (we sat with Stermer's son Michael in church), and training. Here are some pics from today's training run up A for my buddies Tony and Glenn, Stermer and Jr get  to run with me whenever they want:)

Start

                                                                   Last uphill to the top

                                                                                Top

                                                                              View

2-9-11 Happiness is....

What a fun day today! We had our our annual Adaptive PE Valentine's Day Dance for the district SPED kiddos. In years past I have to admit I opted not to go and take them to the regular dance on Friday at our home school. This year I decided to go and I am extremely happy about that decision. I was able to see how excited all the kids were to see all their former classmates, dance to their favorite music, and munch a ton of pizza. We had been practicing such dances as the electric slide, solider boy, the chicken dance, the hookie pookie, the two step, and the twist for the past month and today it payed off! We rocked it :) Yes sir no wall flowers in my class we danced almost every dance and we did not disappoint. Of course I had to dance every dance with them.... you know to set a good example, and not because I love doing my arms in giant YMCA's;) Long story short my reason for happiness today was getting to see a gleaming smile on a young child's face and the satisfaction in knowing I am responsible for putting it there...

On the training front today marked day 50 without a break! No not just the dancing, but I actually got an early morning trainer ride in and an hour and a half hot yoga flow class in. The last epic (for me) swim I did was on Monday night. The water temp was a chilly 77 degrees so I decided to jump in and do a 3k TT. It was rough, but I managed to hit every 500 just under 7 minutes. My arms were pretty spent, considering we started digging our "Navajo Pit House" class project earlier that day. This weekend I need to get out the door on my bike and get some preparation riding in for the Gila!!

Till next time train safe, train hard, and have some fun.

Finding Grace. 2-04-11

Day 45 of my daily workout regimen found Marlene and I in yet another Hot Yoga class. I began the week the same as I will end it, in Hot Yoga. To say I am into it would be a huge understatement. Quote from Levi, my 6 year old son, "Yoga makes you a better daddy". Yes, it does. Before triathlons, one of my favorite songs was Closer to Fine by the Indigo Girls, I even went to their concert in Boston when I visiting a friend of mine who just so happened to graduate from Harvard:) It seems like when I leave the Yoga class I do just that, become closer to fine isn't that what we all should strive for? Now don't be worried I will still be the first to the beer tent after every race, but I do have to admit, after last Monday's class I was wanting to eat something vegetarian (it felt that good). I don't know what the season will have in store, but it feels awesome right now. Like I said before wins are a difficult thing to obtain and many factors have to fall into place, but hopefully with my new found peace and ease I will accept either victory or defeat much better.

Triathlons and life (teaching) have gone hand in hand for me. Many times I have let outside influences dictate my training and racing moods. For many years I raced with anger and vengeance (so to speak). I hated to let people pass me on the bike, it burnt me up inside and I hated it! In my teaching career I have had many opportunities to use the sadness, anger, and negative thoughts to fuel many a workout. I have taken jobs with such acronyms as MIBD (multi impaired behavior disordered), SEBD (severe emotionally behavior disordered), and ED(emotionally disturbed) . Needless to say there are not many success stories coming out of such programs, but I tried anyways. There was a kid who went with me to the Hawaii Ironman 2001 and also lived with me (who is no longer here), There was a kid (13), who would many times call me during my night runs. I would reassure him that I would be waiting for him in the morning with a cup of coffee and everything would be ok. Many times we would would work it out by 10am. One night I guess he decided the weight was just too much to bear so he hung himself. I guess I knew taking these jobs would be difficult, but I decided these kids need somebody to tell them they were proud of them and show them love so I was that person and will continue to be. Finally as of late I am letting go and it feels really good inside. I will never forget, don't get me wrong, but I will release the anger and frustrations and replace it with much more healthy emotions.... That's what I am concentrating on when in Yoga class, out on the road bike miles from civilization, doing endless laps in the pool, etc. I guess fuel is where you find it and for me its feeling almost euphoric to find it in the places I had never before looked.....