Julie gave me the pass to sign up for 3 races plus a USAT membership today. We can’t feed Carter dinner or buy the new baby any diapers but I have a full race schedule this year. Looks like the family must sacrifice for dad to be a crappy age grouper.
Tri-California Events Wildflower Long Course
Where: Lake San Antonio, Monterey County, CA
When: May 2 - 4, 2008
Tri-California just announced that registration is open for all of their major events in 2008.
Avia Wildflower - May 2 - 4, 2008 - I will be there getting my butt kicked on the hills. Escape From Alcatraz - June 8, 2008 - This one fills up fast, sign up quickly. The Triathlon at Pacific Grove - September 12 - 14, 2008 Scott Tinley’s Adventures - October 3 - 5, 2008 - Racing the Off-Road Extreme Triathlon like I did in 2007. The San Francisco Triathlon - November 8 - 9, 2008
Julie and I have raced at the Wildflower and Scott Tinley for the last few years. These guys put on the best events that we have attend. Julie got first place at the Tinley last year in her age group! She killed it!
As I reflect back on the month I don’t know whether to be disappointed or pleased. With 29 days in the month if I hadn’t missed 9 days for business travel I would have worked out everyday of the month. That 9 days away my conditioning pretty bad. UGGGGHHHHHH!
I’m riding 3.5 hours and running 30 minutes tomorrow morning before Julie leaves for Ventura, up at 5:30 am. We will see how I feel. With Ironman California and Tri-California Wildflower coming up I really need to get some solid training time in.
Word just came in that Tri-California Events, producers of the most popular and well run triathlons in the state of California have signed on as an official parter of OutsideAllDay.com. I’m racing Long Course this year at Wildflower so I really happy this could come together.
After a 9 day hiatus due to business travel I’m back in the pool tomorrow morning at 6 am with a core workout at night. It’s one of those love/hate relationships. I still feel super tired from travel but I’m driven by my goal.
Pretty big training plans for the weekend. Saturday is a 4 hour morning road ride and 30 minute run and Sunday is a Palomar mountain climb with Breakaway Training and a night time open water swim at Big Corona with Bryan Cass. It feels good to be back on track. Now if I can only lose the 4 pounds I gained on the trip!
Just got this note from the Diva Crew at Rock N Road. Julie and Alison went to the last time and had a blast.
—————- Rock n Road Cyclery is presenting another fabulous Diva Night at the Mission Viejo location on March 20th at 7.30pm.
**WE HAVE LOADS OF FANTASTIC RAFFLE PRIZES TO GIVE AWAY INCLUDING OAKLEY SUNGLASSES, NEW SPRING APPAREL AND A 2008 SPECIALIZED DOLCE ROAD BIKE!!!!**
There will a race to ‘FIX YOUR FLAT’, a Fashion Show featuring new Spring apparel, Bernice Pierson will be our guest inspirational speaker, AND the usual wine and snacks!!
Dave is a bike geek, I’m a tech geek. If you haven’t heard of Twitter it’s time to jump on the wagon. This morning I started an Outside All Day Twitter account. Twitter is an online application that will allow Dave and I to type 140 character messages to the people that follow our account.
My buddy Nadim and I are traveling home from Cincinnati where we were stuck for an extra night because of weather in Chicago. Our new flight takes use through Denver and then onto Orange County, we should arrive by 12:30 pm if all goes to plan.
To make the flight we had to get up at 6:30 am EST (3:30 am PST). This morning I’ve already had 2 grande coffees, a bottle of water and a bagel. All before I would even be awake at home. I am 100% trashed and have zero energy left.
Things I am looking forward to when I get home:
1. Playing scare with Carter
2. Kissing my wife
3. Picking up my new bike (more to come)
4. Eating a home cooked meal
5. Sleeping in my own bed
6. Shaving
7. Not re-wearing underwear (I ran out)
8. Petting my dogs
9. Getting back on the my Breakaway Training workout plan
On October 22nd 2007, Orange County as well as a number other surrounding counties experienced one of the most devastating fires we’ve seen in over a century. Just in Modjeska Canyon 248 homes and 900 residents were evacuated as well as hundreds of domesticated animals including horses and llamas.
A family locks the front door of their home as they enter into a typical day; only the door was locked in vain because they would later return to only the hardware of the door left un-identifiable. What started as an uneventful day is now an event that will change their lives forever.
The magnificent mountain lion that claims our parks as his own, the deer that gaze at the hikers, bikers and equestrians, the sage, the mustard plant, giant oaks and the prickly pear cactus are unaware of the change that is sneaking up on them. There is no place to hide from the untamed sword of flames that blaze through their home.
People, animals and plants would never voluntarily ask to uproot their lives in order to bring about new change in order to prepare for the next chapter of their lives. We are creatures of comfort and continually seeking contentment. It’s too hard to change; I might have to give something or someone up.
In the woods, the old growth, the least healthy vegetation we’ll refer to as sin and an example of being the conductor of our own lives. We can survive for a while being in charge, however, our lives become dry and brittle because we are not receiving “living water”. When we continue this way and God really wants to bring about change, He will sometimes provide that one spark, setting things ablaze to remove all of those dead weeds clearing the way for new growth.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
As devastating as those fires that broke out back in October were, we now know that families, creatures and plants are all slowly resurrecting from the damage that once invaded their lives bringing about positive change. New structures are being built and of course as you drive around we see God’s hand painting the hills a beautiful green and mustard yellow.
As outdoor adventure enthusiasts we perhaps can’t see where this change fits into our lives especially with upcoming races and the need to stay physically and mentally healthy. Personally, I once again signed up, enthusiastically back in October to participate in one of the nation’s toughest mountain biking challenges, The Vision Quest.
The vision for this quest has become even more challenging due to the lack of trails to train on, the wet weather and more time with my business. Like most of you, these obstacles have reduced my enthusiasm down to a mere frustration. Did I ever consider that these obstacles might be that prompting from God to change from my plans over to His plans? Of course not, I am pretty stubborn when it comes to my desires, especially time on my bike.
A beautiful spark from God entered into my life that caught my attention in the midst of this frustration. My son went away to Air Force Boot Camp on December 11th 2007 and left behind the women that he loves so very much. At his request, I had agreed to invest some time getting to know her as well as encourage her because she had just lost her mom this past April.
My son recently proposed to her while she was on a short visit to see him and has now become basically, a part of our family. Through his absence, I’ve invested time into this beautiful young lady getting to know more of her hurts and becoming very instrumental in her healing. The rewards of this time together and watching her recover from her own personal fire of losing her mom provides me a greater sense of accomplishment one that could never be acquired from any race.
Are you feeling dry and tired and defeated during this season? I’m not discouraging you from giving up your goals and aspirations of competing or your continued desire to be in shape or anything else that motivates you. Just accept the changes of these seasons and ask yourself? Am I supposed to participate in these things despite the obstacles or am I supposed to be open to some restoration of my soul because I am not content blazing my own trail.”
Seasonal changes are presented in our lives and sometimes we dig our heals into the ground to accept them and perhaps walk in another direction not of God’s. When we accept God’s seasonal changes and we seek to discover His will through them, the blessings are abundant!
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Phil. 4:13
The conference is over but I’m stuck in Cincinnati for an additional night because of crummy weather. We fly out tomorrow morning at 9:18 am and I cannot wait to be home. Let me tell you, traveling SUCKS!
One positive is the dinner my boss just treated us to at Morton’s. Steak and lobster, fantastic!
The Final stage to the AMGEN Tour of California finished today at the Pasadena, Rose Bowl in Southern, CA. so I had to get out for the racing. The race has been great but the sunny California weather was not so friendly. The week brought a lot of rain and cold weather to the Tour but that seemed to be just fine with racers and all the spectators whom showed up today to watch the final stage. It ended great with an amazing breakaway from Thor of Team Bissell but he could not hold off the hard charge of George Hincapie (Team High Road) as he took the final stage in the pouring rain just before the sky opened up to an amazing rainbow, which casted over the stage as the riders received their kisses from the Rock N Republic Girls.
Results of the tour—
Overall: Amgen Tour of California 2008:
Full Overall ResultsResults
Overall Results 1. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana, 29:24:32 2. David Millar (GB), Slipstream-Chipotle, 0:49 3. Christian …
-DSheek
Who cares about winning when your Dave Zabriskie because he has a sweet stache!
These are the type of events that are bringing Mountain Biking back on the radar. The typical XC format seems to have lost interest of a lot of competitors so read more about this multi day event on Velo News…
“A pair of the country’s best known mountain bike race organizers are planning the first epic mountain bike stage race in the U.S., to be held this summer in the ski and bike resort of Brian Head, Utah.
Inspired by the growth of events like South Africa’s Absa Cape Epic and Costa Rica’s La Ruta de los Conquistadores, the Brian Head Epic will be held August 21-24…”
-DSheek
If anyone wants to contribute to my entry I will do it!
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The Mammoth Season Pass (formerly “Gold Pass”), is now the only unrestricted pass for skiing/snowboarding at Mammoth and June Mountains starting May 1, 2008 and every day in the 2008/09 season.
What you get: A Season Pass is your membership into the Mammoth Club. Purchase in April 2008 for special Activity Pass, Gift Card and passcash offers at the time of purchase, plus more season-long discounts on lodging, lesson, food, retail and Bring a Friend than ever before.
Half Price 2008/09 Mammoth Season Pass
Purchase your Pass in April and save over 50%. Pays for itself in 10 days. Available April 1-30, 2008 at MammothMountain.com or by calling 800.MAMMOTH.
It was our first race of the season as a team. The guys received their new bikes (Pivot Cycles, the sexiest full suspension systems in the world) and I am eagerly waiting mine which should be arriving next week. The race was so fun. I know we should have placed better especially with all the training/riding everyone has been putting in this off season from Mountain Biking. However, $hi# happens… Dean cramped so bad he pedaled around the course looking for a good rock and then he sat down to eat a Bonk Breaker Bar so he could finish. Eric cramped and then decided to try and blow himself up so he could quit but he hung on for fourth even with the pain. And, I rode around the course like a small child. My lower back was toast by the end of the first lap. I borrowed Andy’s bike and did not adjust the positioning more than the saddle height. The tires sucked as I slid into and around corners plus the bike weighed almost eight pounds more than my own. Needless to say it was a painfully awkward suffer fest to barely hang on to fifth and I loved it.
The best part is the motivation that experiences like these create. Dean rode before heading off to Lake Tahoe today and Eric probably did hill repeats trying to figure out why he doesn’t cramp on regular rides but he does in races. I will rest and after a couple days of stretching and resting my back I am on the bike.
Next race:
March 9, 2008 Southern California State XC Series #1, Bonnelli Park, CA
For my day job I work for a company called SimplyYouthMinistry.com. Our company is hosting a conference in Cincinnati called the National Youth Ministry Conference. My buddies Jake and Josh did all of the programming for the event. This is one of their announcement video’s.
