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.....

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.