3-23-11 Ying and Yang

Day 91 of training without a day off has come and gone (yesterday). This week is our spring break and for the first time in a many many spring breaks we actually did not make travel plans. Usually we are off to Tucson for the series first race, driving to Denver, or chilling in Socorro. I must admit I kinda like just staying around the house with the family, realizing just how awesome the training in Las Cruces is!

Yesterday I got out on the mountain bike and rode around the local training hot spot. A Mountain has been one of my favorite running and biking places for the last 20 some odd years and yesterday was no different from the all the times before. I found some new single track, rode an old section that I hadn't been on since my younger brother lived here, and had a blast remembering all the people I have either rode or run with on those trails. Mountain biking has always been something I truly enjoy doing. Yesterday I rode for a little over 2 hours all by myself. I listened to my favorite play list and just let my mind wander. By the time I got the pool I was feeling refreshed,dirty, and exhausted all at the same time; so naturally it was bath time...Problem was that the the water temp at the pool has been a little less then desirable lately so it was forced into workout number 2 or freeze! Not the nice easy swim I had planned, but it all worked out, as usual. Riding solo on the single track made me really miss my brother Steven. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the solitude of riding by myself, but absolutely nothing can compare to when Steven, Danny, and yours truly would get together for either mountain or road rides. We would joke so much my sides would cramp from laughing so much... I miss those days!

It has been a little difficult for me to comprehend just how awesome this season has started, the big plans I have in store (stay tuned), and this new resurgence towards training I seem to have acquired. If someone would have told me in December that I would do the 24 hr mountain bike race, trained for over 3 months straight without a break, do a triathlon against the current of an endless river, sign up for Tour of the Gila, and still be in a happy, loving, fun filled family oriented relationship...well, I would have wondered?? Fact is that the 24 hr race was a complete blast and I want to do it again next year, the triathlon in the endless river was probably one of the most memorable ones I have ever done (which may have been my 200th triathlon, I need to double check), and as far as the training goes I may need to take a day off here soon just to make sure my OCD will not get the better of me:) Seems like this would have been exactly how I would have liked this season to start if I would have planned it..

Something interesting I was thinking about yesterday: When we were at the meet and greet social Friday night at Trisports.com, we were asked to say a little something about ourselves and what being a sponsored athlete means to us. I keep going back to the fact of how extremely lucky I am to have a sponsor, http://www.trisports.com/ ,  have a job I love, and the fact the two could not be further apart from one another. As I was talking to the other athletes, Seton stood up and said he thought for years that I hated him. I kinda knew what he was talking about, but it could not have been further from the truth. Back in 05 (same year as I lost my dad and best friend), hence the fact I was pretty much angry with the whole world.. I was doing the XTERRA Triathlon that trisports.com put on in Show Low AZ. I took a wrong turn and wound up on this old fire road about 5 or 6 miles off course, enter Seton in this humongous Ford F-950. He catches me, throws my then new trek carbon bike in the back, tells me to hop in...the back, then proceeds to drive like a bat out hell back to the point where I took the wrong turn. My tailbone was smashing against the wheel well, I was fearing for my life (flying out of the back), and my chain ring took a gash out of my forearm. Not a happy camper, but hatred?? C'mon, just ask anyone the kids I work with daily or their parents...me, hate?? Never. Anyway long story short, I never hated Seton, but I am aware that sometimes I may have been a little faulty of giving off that impression when I am in competition mode, and for that I am truly sorry. Truth is that is  one of the main areas I have been working on so diligently as of late (be nice, be nice). My point is, I couldn't tell you the number of times I have heard, while at a race, YOU work with little Downs Syndrome and medically fragile kids? Aren't those kids all lovable and huggable and pretty much a joy to be around? Well, YES, yes they are...and so am I when I want to be:) Flip side, at work I hear all the time from the parent of the kids I work with...YOU race and compete in all these events? How is that even possible, you don't seem like you have the personality for that sort of thing.. Well go figure I guess I need the Ying and the Yang...and a six pack to wash it all down;) Fact is, I wish more of my teacher friends had an escape and way to recharge as do I. Flip side, I wish more triathletes would take the time to find the purity and love associated with working with less privileged individuals...it would make for a more balanced lifestyle either way.....

I leave this blog feeling quite happy and content with the way things are shaping up for this season, honestly I can't remember being in this good of shape this early on... Hopefully it's not just for show;)

Peace out, be cool, and train hard!!

                                                               Me and my BFF Seton :)

A picture is worth a thousand words.....

It is often said that a picture can speak louder then any words. This, to me, is the perfect example of that and I will get that point in just a little bit. This past weekend was spent in the beautiful Tucson mountains training my ass off with the trisports.com team (totally cool teammates). At first it was a little daunting when I read the itinerary for the week, but with all the laughter, beers, and good times, as with time itself, it came and passed. Although it is over I was left with some pretty cool memories that had me laughing, cramping, hammering, making new friends, pre-paying and arranging for a nice truck ride :) and generally enjoying the hell out of being a sponsored triathlete!

Now back to the picture. This one was taken outside the JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Tucson just before the team race. The interesting thing about this picture, to me, is that it has both the NM athletes and a two generational gap in between. See for years I have considered myself as the true original triathlete from the 505 (NM). I have seen so many hot shots come and go from the state, beaten most, gotten my rear kicked by a few, and didn't really care for the majority (being honest). Now in the picture I noticed my back is turned and the dude to my left is looking directly forward, so as if to say "let me in" (me being on the way out). The guys name is Rance Irvin and he is both fast as shit and young! As with the zip code, which is now split with the 575 prefix, things change and I am cool with it. The problem herein lies with the fact that I feel I can still throw down and maybe even a little better then before given all the training as of late. No, I have never and will never lay down and take a beating without a fight (and I have a lot of fight left) I do believe the inevitable will happen within the next few years and I also have no doubt this kid has what it takes to go "big time" pro, beat the best, and make a name for himself. I know he has a plan on becoming the best NM triathlete and to tell the truth it is quite refreshing hearing this from someone who not only actually possesses all the tools which will ultimately make that statement a reality, but perhaps and even more importantly, this kid is one of the coolest, fastest, and nicest young guns I have ever met (Neal Segal being the other). One of the main reasons I have stayed in the game as long as I have was simply because I wasn't ready to pass my share of the NM torch, so to speak to the ones I saw coming up. Don't get me wrong I am certainly not ready to throw in the towel just yet, and even when the day comes I will be giving it my all to finish line (the only way I know how)...

Back to the training week. Going into the week I was just a little tired. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel it as we ascended Mt. Lemmon on day one, but the fact that I was able to make it to the top, keep relative pace with some serious athletes, and stay on my bike for 7 hours without cramping will be a huge confidence builder going into this season.When we got back to the shop our lunches were waiting. We ate quickly and were in the pool for workout number 2 in about :30 min. Now the swim workout was actually really fun. There were a few sets which I had never done before. One in particular totally brought out the aggressive competitive nature in me. We were tethered together and took off toward opposite ends of the pool, objective being to reach your end before the other swimmer reaches theirs. Yeah, tie me to someone and tell me it's you or them??? No brainer. It will be me who, more times than not, will touch first (however I did cramp pretty bad).

The next day consisted of a bike ride to a secret workout at a location yet be determined followed by the bike ride back to the shop. The location was at a very beautiful JW Marriott tucked away in the Tucson foothills and the secret workout was a triathlon and a pretty challenging one at that. It would be a huge understatement to say there are some fast athletes on the Trisports.com team, these guys and ladies can flat out fly! We were lined up according to swim speed (I was 10th, Rance was 3rd) and given a :20 sec. gap between swimmers. We swam 2.5 laps in the endless river against the current after we entered the starting gate which was atop the water slide...FUN! The swim took a little longer then I thought it would, but after that it was BIKE TIME. I wanted to see how my legs would respond to all the heavy training as of late and respond they did! They were tired but did what I asked of them... go hard as hell and don't cramp! The reason I mentioned placement at the swim start was because I made it my mission to see if I could catch everyone who started ahead of me...especially Rance. See, I felt I would be letting the guy down if I didn't put out my best effort on the bike because he has come to expect that I ride hard and to do anything less would have been just a bit disrespectful to him. The run was just as unique and reminded me of an xterra run course. When it was all said and done Rance had repaid the favor by blowing by in the final half mile much the same way I blew by him on the bike:) Fun times for sure! Two very specific Mikeisms (as I like to call them) which helped in training happened the first two days. 1. If you follow my blog you would know that one of my workouts is both swimming and running against the lazy river at the local aquatic center and 2. I often tether myself to my boat and pull it for a while when it gets hot out on the lake. I think of these workouts as fun, at least until I get pegged by an empty beer can by one of my redneck buddies.. My third, funniest, and final Mikeism was a little later to come on the ride back to town and in the next paragraph.

On the ride back to the shop it was decided we would ride over Gates pass and down to the shop. We knew we only had a few hours before the taco truck left trisports and we were a little lax on getting going. Once we were off it didn't take long for the first (of many) tires to flat. One tire/wheel in particular would not stop going flat no matter how many times we fixed it. The more times we waited the better the chances were for the taco truck to be long gone by the time we arrived. By the fifth or sixth flat (I don't quite remember) the team was getting hot, tired, hungry/starving, and a little annoyed...Enter Mikeism numero 3. I noticed an old brown crew cab pic up pulling onto Ajo and I made eye contact with the driver. That's all it took I knew in a glance that this dude was all good so I leaned my bike up against the guard rail, walked over to his pick up and started talking to the dude. I explained that we were doing a triathlon training camp, which he misinterpreted as as an astronaut training camp, and that my roommate was having bike trouble about a mile up the road. I asked him nicely if he would go pick him him up and take him back to trisports.com on Palo Verde Road. I offered him all the cash I had (7 bucks)  he said sure thing and drove off. Sure the other team mates were like who was that guy? Did you actually know him? Down with the locals? I explained what I did and waited, joked, and prayed for my belief in humanity to be restored (yet again). Yeah, I guess I forgot to disclose the condition of the pick up or the appearance of the driver. I actually didn't notice his clothing, only the fact that he had mini braids and was somewhat a big guy. As it turns out he was big and also wearing short (really short) cut off jean shorts and an old wife beater. See I told him not to take no for an answer, and he said "no problem man". He shows up at the top of the hill where Craig, Billy, Thomas,and Amy were were waiting, introduces himself as Johnny and make everyone completely nerve racked:) :) :) After about 10-15 minutes of coaxing, Craig puts his bike in the back of his truck and they drive past us. YES!!! We wait for the other three to get back to us, laugh some more, swap a few stories, then make our way to the tacos and beer! If you read my blog you will no doubt have read about putting a positive spin on things around you. I don't just write shit to write it I actually try my best to do as I say. We went from hot, tired, irritated, and hungry to laughing, joking, riding again, and knowing the cold beer and tacos would be our saving grace! All thanks to a local cool dude named Johnny who thought he was helping out a bunch of astronauts in training:) Fu####-A Johnny you restored the faith!

Craig's view from the back seat of Johnny's truck. If you click on the pick you can see the rest of the team riding in the background.

Our view of Craig and Johnny passing by.

Salud...otra vez!!

3-05-11 Keepin' a positive spin

Okay so it's no big secret education is going through some big cuts now a days. I guess it would be very easy to jump on the negative band wagon and point fingers at this, that, or the other. Fact is I am still pretty damn happy to be a teacher (at Vista Middle School) and being involved in the lives of youngsters everyday gives me a level of satisfaction few professions will ever enjoy. I try my best to be positive and upbeat no matter the circumstance and I realize how truly blessed I am to have the job I do, to be a sponsored athlete http://www.trisports.com/ (at 41/42), and to have been given the opportunity to change the life of a child (weather it be for a life time or a moment in time)....

I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed that the pay cuts will affect me, that the teacher cuts probably will effect our awesome sped program, or that our new governer has already broken promises made (politician). See what I mean easy to get negative, but the truth is that I honestly wouldn't want to be anything else. I have never wanted to be an administrator because I love life in the trenches, trying to go pro years ago was never a wise decision, and even after meeting...and losing some pretty damn cool students I am comfortable in saying I have very few regrets in my profession.

Just as easy as it is to become negative, for me, it's just as simple to let the storm clouds roll in and become down. In the past, I had the tendency to just get wet. I can't really explain it and even though there were always positives all around I wouldn't allow myself out of the quicksand.....until relatively recently:) I like to think of myself as never really doing anything half ass and at times it has been both a blessing and a curse. Years ago when I met a kid who had absolutely no home life, in jail, and no positive role model, I stepped in. If I wouldn't have, probably nobody would have....not like the way I did! When a young boy was put in my program years later that nobody else wanted I did my best to let him know he was all good in my book, no matter what. If my attitude were any different I wouldn't have some pretty fond memories of those two and more importantly those two wouldn't have had someone to look up to...if only for a while. Yes, the outcomes get to me to this day, but I have no regrets with the love I showed them, the positive spin I tried to put on their lives, or the way they will remain with me....I am good with myself about it.

Yesterday I went for a run and it sucked, every step hurt, and I just wasn't into it. I was thinking something may be seriously wrong or I was just too damn old for this shit anymore, honestly! I got back to the pool, finally, and I start seeing all these positive people that I realize have helped me; not replace memories, but outweigh the hurtful ones. Today I went for a run and I don't know if it was all the beer I drank after last night's crappy run, the fact that I had Perfect by Pink on repeat, or that I actually got 10 hours of sleep, but the run was a PR on a course I do pretty regular. Go figure, just like my life from wanting to throw in the towel to knowing I have a shot at winning a few tri's this season in the course of about 14 hours. I couldn't help but think, as I listened to Pink, at least they felt someone in their life cared about them and think they  were perfect.. it's too bad not more did..

I decided to end on one of the biggest positives in my teaching tenure at Vista. It is Leticia (who I ran into at the pool yesterday). She is well on her way to becoming the best blind swimmer in the USA! Next week she is off to Minnesota for a meet that will put her on the map and I am so so so very proud of her! She thought I was absolutely crazy when I talked her into going out for track her 8th grade year. Instead of thinking of all the reasons she couldn't do it, we channeled our attention on making the accommodations which ultimately made it possible. These are the memories I will cherish, dwell on, and hold strong to...

 Running and placing in the 800

 Long jump with complete trust

 12 feet!

 From a 14 minute 400 to a 31 sec 50 in just a couple years!

 Worth a thousand words...

The finish line was just her beginning:)  Happiness and sadness is all around it's the one we choose to feed that will grow, foster, and flourish.  PEACE.....