Jeff Keil's Blog

New Blog-TEAM KEIL!

2009-10-25T12:42:00.001-07:00

Jenni and I are combining forces in our new blog TEAM KEIL. My irregular posts will now occur on this site! Check it out!

More workouts...

2009-10-06T13:34:00.007-07:00

Feeling pretty good as of late. Around this time I always think I haven't done enough, so just have to put that to rest. A few workouts- long run, progression run and a longer ride. Long ride wasn't that great, but I guess it's fun to see the data. Progression run today was pretty good- felt pretty good despite this being probably my first speedy workout in a long, long time. Feeling stronger on the longer runs now, but have yet to still find a consistent strength on the long rides, but I think that will come in the next few weeks.

Right now- eating on the bike, post workouts as well as recovery (despite a few beers here and there) are probably the biggest things I'm concentrating on. I feel as if I am bouncing back quicker and quicker from the harder efforts.

A couple workouts from last week...

2009-09-20T15:06:00.002-07:00

Note mile 9 and mile 10 of the run... way to run Jeff... instead I was walking and complaining up every single rock... poor baby...

Latest Update and a "W"

2009-09-13T14:49:00.004-07:00

Last couple weeks of training have been really good... really feel like things are coming together. The little usual tweeks and twinges are there, but overall feeling solid in all disciplines. Roughly about 23hrs a week with some good long rides mid week and weekend capped off with my long run on Sundays.

Rode 90 miles with lots of climbing on this last Wednesday and did some longer intervals and felt great.. got off and ran 7 miles and really struggled- probably dehydration and fatigue... tried to recover for 2 days and then Jenni and I raced the 10th Annual Harvest Moon HAlf-Ironman... I have to say Lance and Tony put on a great event! From start to finish. I'd definitely put this race on my radar again- really, really fun and challenging...

Results are here

I'll keep the race report short- went into the race knowing there weren't a ton of Pros or AG's (not selling anyone short) but it was a good test for me seeing as I really haven't raced since last October. I was excited to hear Brand Seng and Gordo were doing the race- Brad can run like a Deer- was top 10 at IMLP this last July and Gordo probably isn't that super fit, but is always a solid racer- can't believe he's going to be 41. I just wanted to swim well and bike as hard as I could and just hang on for the run. SWIM- took it out and kinda got off course a few times but got out of the water first (that will probably never happen again) Swim was short- probably by 3-4 minutes. HAd a crappy transition (for both T1 and T2- note to self- gotta get smoother at these) Got on the bike and it was cool the whole ride- quads were cramping due to the cold but got into a good rhythm by mile 20 or so and just really tried to push. It was cool to have the lead motorcycle the whole way! at mile 40- the race got serious with a ton of rollers- reminded me of the last 30 miles in Kona- with a headwind. At every glance back- Brad was right there- so, I knew going into the run he'd give me a battle... 2:20 for the bike. A damn tough course. RUN- got out on the course and felt ok- just settled in and started clicking off the miles around 6:10 pace... haven't done any speed work or tempo, so I was happy with things... got to the turn around and Brad was close probably about 1:30-2:00 back... just kept pushing and hoping- got to mile 11 and started to fade... Brad got within 45 seconds of me but I was able to win with a 4:07. I was happy with things- a little disappointed I only ran 1:20...

Jenni had a great race- really, really learning how to put it together. Riding stronger and still getting off and running really well... 2:43 bike and a 1:37 run... plus, her swimming is getting better and better. Very proud of her.

Great to see quite a few people there- along with Kerrie and Glenn, who of course- always have an excuse of why they didn't race well...LOL. Kerrie- some BS about being sick and Glenn said he rode 8miles off course. I'm only kidding- I'm writing this to get a response out of Kerrie soon... all kidding aside- both of them looked great and ready for Kona.

So, yea- that's about it. Recovering for 3 days and then back at it...

Nothing Really New...

2009-08-31T15:58:00.002-07:00

ok- Really nothing new to report besides... well... more training. But- considering everything, I'm happy doing the work. Feeling really good lately and I'm able to handle the volume Timmy is giving me... I feel like I'm getting fit.

Met with Jason from Specialized last week and I will say they have some really great stuff coming out this season across the board... Their new Shoes both for Road and Tri are just so nice... and light as SH*T!!!

Other exciting news around the Keil household is that we're headed to InterBike with Skins, so that will be a lot of fun- also to see a few other sponsors as well and catch up.

Jenni is headed back to teach soon, so September will be fun for us getting back into a rhythm. It's been great to have her around as a reality check this summer- it's really helped.

Check out some better stuff here: Tim DeBoom.

Training Log is open...

2009-08-23T18:58:00.004-07:00

ok. so... I'm back... 24:20 this week for training. Not an insane amount, but damn, I feel great. I haven't been sleeping that well, so, hoping that when that happens things will improve. Had a great week this week and ended on a high note.

I'd like to thank TriBuys.com for hooking me up with the new Garmin 310XT. Holy Lord...what a great training tool. End of story. I''ve included some screen shots of Garmin Connect where my data lies... so cool and easy to use. THANKS JEN!! If you'd like to support some great people and company- lemme know- email me at keil underscore jeff at yahoo dot com and I can give you a discount code.

Swim: 4.5 hrs // 14,100m

Bike: 216mi // 13.0 hrs

Run: 58mi // 6:50 hrs.

Saturdays ride with Dennis Meeker and Matt Steinmetz and a few others was stellar. only 90 miles but a ton of climbing- definately going to do that again. Todays run- 20 miles with Ewen and Ramine was great- 2 great runners that I have been learning a lot from...

Run today was great. Expected for my legs to feel like crap but went out with Ewen and Ramine and felt good. I would of liked to push the pace a bit more, but I think that'll happen later. Finished with around 6:10 pace the last 4 miles...See todays image.

Timmy gave me a love more swimming this week that I've really enjoyed. I hate to say this, but I'd almost like to swim more...

Great to be healthy again, although Jenni has been experiencing ANOTHER coughing fit, I'm hoping the Keil household is 100% healthy....

Back from the Dead...

2009-08-20T11:43:00.010-07:00

ok. so... yea, been a long time since I've posted anything really of worth when it comes to training and all...so, just click away from here as the following post will be a long one, but I'll try to limit it...

Most everyone close to me knows now that the last year or so has been kinda rough in terms of working and training and trying to juggle all of it, then add in being sick with Bronchitis for 10-12 weeks off and on... End of the day- let's face it- although I've struggled with some issues both with work and health- it's a blip on the radar compared to what others have gone through, so let's just remember that first and foremost. I'm thankful for all that I have and am able to do.

Spring-

Well... spring came and I was charged up after Solvang and was having a lot of fun training with Timmy. I was having some issues with being fatigued, had a depressed heart rate and my muscles hurt during workouts...so, I knew something was wrong. It took me a while to go and see the Dr. but got a bunch of blood work done and I found out my Iron levels were very low for a guy and my Ferritin levels were very low- So, this all was new to me...

During the spring I really struggled to try and find a coach- just having a sounding board give me workouts and have it be someone I fit well with and trusted that the style of training would match. I tried to have Tony DeBoom look at my workouts and bugged Michael Lovato a bit, but in the end- I went back to the one person I trusted who's helped me from square one get to where I'm at... Timmy... who is really helping me return to having great workouts.

Intensity-

To be perfectly honest with myself- I absolutely dropped the ball when it came to coming back and building my basework how I typically do- lots of strength work in terms of hill running and just putting in good miles on the bike and run. Instead, I opted to try a few things different and try a bit more intensity on the bike and run to try and zap my system out of a funk. In the end- all it did was knock me down even further... maybe this works for some, but not for me. So lame to think that I was going to try and get back to great form with what I was doing...

Work-

Trying to learn this last year how to get in a rhythm of working from home on the freelance gig has been a HUGE challenge for me, and probably has been a huge burden on Jenni. I am finally now just beginning to get in a rhythm of work and workouts and everything... Work has been good this year I think- I really haven't had to search out design... BUT, I decided to take on designing/art directing 3 apparel catalogs (that turned into 4) over the span of 3 months- am I thankful for the work? Yes. BUT- Holy Lord... I think the stress of this is something I just wasn't prepared for. This is compounded by the whole design community being really backwards... basically getting paid from clients is like pulling teeth. Enough said.

Lungs-

Yes, as most of my friends and family know now- I had a bronchitis like respiratory infection that lasted FOREVER- yes- close to 12 weeks and 3 stints of antibiotics. I know, I know- I would tell someone else to take off 2-3 weeks and get better, but I decided to try and work through it. It's weird now to run and ride and not have snot and mucus coming out of my face every 3 minutes while I cough up chunks... Well, now- finally at the beginning of August- I am 100%- I feel like this has been an injury of sorts, but I guess I've learned from it... the hard way... just like I do everything else.

I've prided myself on staying injury free and to be smart about how I approached things in terms of my fitness and my body and what I can handle, but seems I forgot about a set of the most important pieces of all of this- my 2 lungs and my tiny brain... both got worked over the last few months...

Ups and Downs-

Over the span of the spring and summer- I've seen the racing season come and go. I decided to let the idea of racing Ironman Lake Placid go as well as a few other halfs. I put my own training aside a bit and really put my energy into Jenni's training.. which I can really say that I've enjoyed a TON! To see her ride 15 minutes faster at BSLT this year and run like a monster was so much fun. Yes, she turned down her Kona slot, but she will only get faster and stronger...so, I'm happy for her. Such a high point of this season for me. I can't express in words how proud I am of my wife on numerous levels.

On the low side this last spring, I've just had so many doubts and was really struggling if I really wanted to continue with this whole triathlon thing- I felt like crap every single workout and would stop and walk numerous times home from a run wondering why I was out there. I just wasn't enjoying anything relating to swimming, biking and running- which is really weird for me...but with Jenni and Tim as my support squad, I feel that I've taken these downs and put them into this fall as building blocks... Although I've never been at a level of this guy, I wonder what it is that keeps him and people like him coming back for more, as well as really understanding how others like his brother, as well as Timmy- people that hung it up and never looked back...

Again- all of this has been super hard on Jenni- to say that I've really struggled with all of this the last year would be an understatement! I've struggled again and again and just really wasn't going to announce to anyone about all of this....

From now on...

At this point, I've had quite a few solid weeks of training under my belt- I've basically put it into my mind that my spring was my winter, my summer has been my spring and now- this fall is well... time to turn the screws for a late season Ironman. With Timmy's guidance, I've been putting in some great basebuilding mileage on the bike as well as the run and am feeling like I'm getting fit- FINALLY!! After seeing a lot of people fry themselves again and again, I feel that I can head into a race fresh both in mind and body.

Hopefully I can get back to posting more workout stuff- really what this blog thing was intended to do...be a record of my training...

the Snuggler

2009-06-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

Things to Come... Stay Tuned....

2009-06-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

BolderBoulder 2009

2009-06-05T07:13:00.003-07:00

The boys Pre-BolderBoulder.

Fast Freddy Keil ran who turned 70 years young- ran to an age group win of 50 minutes flat- Crushing his age group by over 3 minutes. Tim on the other hand... already had 100+ miles for the week and ran to a respectable 34 and change...

New Nike Shoe

2009-05-15T09:01:00.001-07:00

I've got a pair of these on order.

New Nike Shoes

My favorite clips

2009-05-13T06:45:00.002-07:00

Eleven

Lil' Sandwiches

ArtCrank

2009-04-22T15:54:00.002-07:00

Some really cool artwork all centered around the 2 wheelies... ArtCrank.

Check it out. Also- some posters from the boys at Twin Six.

Westside Cycling- Denver

2009-04-16T15:48:00.003-07:00

Through Specialized, Jenni and I were asked to speak at a grand re-opening at Westside Cyclery in Denver next Tuesday the 21st- from 6:30-8:00, so if you're in the Denver area- come on down and see a new and improved shop with additions to the multisport arena as well as road and mountain offerings.

Should be fun- hopefully we can talk about what NOT to do... like post photos of yourself on the blog in tiny swimsuits...

Splish

2009-04-13T16:26:00.003-07:00

Got a care package in the mail on Saturday from Splish.

I met the Splish crew while in Solvang with Michael Lovato. The day I met Ira and Dawn- they decided to drive down and meet up with Michael and have a swim... I decided to come along... on the drive over Michael decided to tell me the wonderful news Dawn is a 16 minute (in the pool) 1500m swimmer- swam for Florida and basically had gills.

great!! (inside- "oh shit, I hope I don't drown!)

Anyway... as Michael and Dawn ripped it up next to me that night, I tried my best to hang with them and it was still a lot of fun... Anyway... not a very exciting story, but none the less- Dawn and Ira were very generous to send me a few suits and they're awesome... great quality, thick and are very comfortable... I'm trying my best to look like the Vato Lovato here, but as you can see... not quite the same.

BTW- Aquaman was always my favorite Justice League Super Hero.

Anyway- if you're in the market for a new suit- I'd give the splish stuff a try- great products and give some great people some support.

Art Force One...

2009-03-26T10:30:00.002-07:00

Saw this from an old friend of mine- an insane graphic designer and great apparel designer...

ArtForceOne

I so want a pair of these.

10% off at TriBuys.com

2009-03-25T08:49:00.002-07:00

Just wanted to let people know- if you're looking to get some gear via the Wonderful World of Webness, you can get 10% off at TriBuys.com. You can email Mike or Jen at: mike@tribuys.com; Jennifer@tribuys.com;

Mike and Jen are the shop owners in Irvine along with Cameron- they have a Guaranteed Satisfaction policy to ease your mind with buying something new and returning it if you're not completely satisfied. They currently have gotten a great team going and are helping out their community by giving them some much needed training help and such. Great group to be a part of. OH- and they also sponsor some guy named Craig Alexander and another no-name- Chris Leigh.

Everything's Taking too Long...

2009-03-24T17:24:00.002-07:00

ok- I'm too lazy to post anything lately. I love the Onion- I wish all news was like this and Jon Stewart.

Great Story here.

For Sale

2009-03-16T09:26:00.004-07:00

Selling my late model 2008 Ceepo- Size Medium. In phenomenal shape- basically brand new- probably only about 1000miles on it. This has been an awesome bike. SRAM Red Cranks, SRAM Force Derailleurs, Zero G Brakes, Easton Attack bars.

Email me for specs, sizes, etc. along with other info if you or anyone you know is interested. Looking to probably sell this for around $3400/obo... only thing I'm not selling this with is the computer, pedals, seat and waterbottle cages.

my email KEIL UNDERSCORE JEFF AT YAHOO.COM

I heart Ninjas

2009-03-14T16:21:00.002-07:00

classic... forgot about this website... great stuff...

Real Ultimate Power

T-Shirts I want...

2009-03-12T08:48:00.002-07:00

I want this one for Me and of course- the blue one for Jenni...

Snorgtees

Day 6+ 7

2009-03-11T08:41:00.003-07:00

Zorro the wonder dog (our sag wagon driver) locked Pete out of the van. The backside of the Tour of Cali TT course and the climb up the Fig. Figeuroa (spelling) Mtn- 9 miles at an average grade of 9%. Fist mile or so is at 22%... brutal. Lovato rode it in 49 (on a road bike) and me- 54 (on my TT bike) and yes- that's an excuse. Lovato climbs like a mountain goat.

Day 4+ 5

2009-03-11T08:38:00.003-07:00

85 mile ride to the beach, a few of the Endure It bros (tough ass riders) and Lovato's Head.

Solvang Days 2+ 3

2009-03-11T08:24:00.003-07:00

Swimming at the local high school and a few short climbs throughout the town. Note downtown Solvang.

Solvan Photos

2009-03-11T08:16:00.004-07:00

Last week in Photos... Day 1 on my own- backside of the Fig via Happy Canyon and our place for the week- the Meadowlark Inn.

Off to Solvang

2009-02-28T16:50:00.002-07:00

so, off to Solvang tomorrow to the Endure It Camp in Solvang. Should be a lot of fun. I'll try and keep up on the Twitter thing to the right with photos of Michael Lovato riding away from me...

Found this by Accident...

2009-02-26T07:23:00.002-07:00

Never saw this- it's interesting to hear what he has to say. People may or may not like the guy, but you gotta respect him.

MM + BF

2009-02-16T09:59:00.005-07:00

Went and visited Craig down at MaxMuscle last week to see how things are progressing with my diet. Granted- I didn't eat that poorly (I think) over the last year, but really refining what goes into my body even more I know is going to make a difference.

After going to see Mark Allen chat on his new book a couple weeks ago, he expanded on a story of how he lived in Boulder near Pearl Street and would go down to the Mrs Fields and get cookies after a long ride- figured he'd burn it off tomorrow and he also deserved it... The last day he did this, then quit cold turkey on the cookies was the day he was coming back from the cookie store and he saw Dave Scott coming back from Alalfas eating Cottage cheese... hum... makes sense.

I believe the biggest change for me has been the reduction in refined sugars. Pretty much the only sugar I eat now is in my Orange Juice, and a bit in my cereals. I've noticed I don't have any real sugar cravings anymore, which is great. I feel stronger on the bike as well as in the pool. I still have good days and off days with getting in enough calories, but in general- I am seeing and feeling improvements in and out of training. I've been keeping a food journal each day which is challenging to judge quantities, but it's becoming easier...

So- with that, Craig shuffled me back to the changing room in the MaxMuscle and proceeded to take his measurements... See data below. Granted- these are only 2 samples- I believe this will fluctuate over the next couple of months- I doubt I will continue to drop like I did this time, but who knows. Everyone notices how they look in the mirror and honestly in December I just was really disappointed in how I looked- stupid, I know, but it makes a difference- carrying 2-5 extra lbs on the bike and run just doesn't work for me. After I met with Craig I went back and was looking at my training volume over the last 4-6 weeks and it's remained relatively consistent, so I know the addition of volume isn't a huge factor in the data below.

Date: 01.09.09
Weight- 165lbs (with clothes)
Lean body mass: 147.51 lbs
Fat Body Mass: 17.49 lbs.
Body Fat %: 10.6 %

Date: 02.13.09
Weight- 167lbs (with clothes)
Lean body mass: 154.54 lbs
Fat Body Mass: 12.46 lbs.
Body Fat %: 7.46 %

Change-
2.0 lbs. Weight
7.04 lbs Lean Muscle,
-5.04lbs Fat body Mass.
Body Fat %: -3.14%

So, yea- I know I was way, way leaner before Kona, so there is still a lot of room for improvement- makes me wonder what my BF% was in October. Again- my diet isn't full of supplements, but I'm eating more in general and the combination of different food groups makes sense. I guess I knew this before, but am more aware of it now.

Thanks Craig...

ouch

2009-01-29T21:16:00.003-07:00

soooooo... yeaaaaa.... Today.... you can see... lots of fun.

The lovely Mrs. Ewen North- Heather who works with Darth Platjis- aka- Mark Platjis at In Motion was able to help me find a new religion. Thanks Heather! Heather is awesome- great runner herself and really helps take care of Jenni and I.

After weeks of my calves "threatening" to give me more issues than I could bargain for... well, they fulfilled their promises this week. While Heather worked on my calves, she kept saying things like. "oh, Gosh- this is really bad Jeff." and a lot of "oh no"... awesome to hear from a PT. This was the "dry needling" Mark was recently certified for .... fun. Honestly, it wasn't that bad...

Fit Soul Fit Body- Mark Allen in Boulder Feb 5th

2009-01-26T15:01:00.004-07:00

FYI- if anyone is interested- Mark Allen will be in town promoting his new book- Fit Soul Fit Body on Thursday, February 5th at the Boulder Book Store. Over the last year or so, I've kinda gotten to know Mark a bit better and have just gained so much respect for him, not just for his athletic achievements, but his way of thinking... Timmy and I are taking notes... here's a few key ideas:

Test your wellness without considering your vital signs or weight
Successfully manage the 6 worst kinds of stress
Overcome the top 3 emotional barriers
Beat boredom and find motivation in repetition
“Slow down to get faster” (in everything you do)
Choose the right eating and exercise plan for you
Employ the power of nature to find balance
Quiet your mind in just minutes without spending hours learning meditation or attending a yoga class
Set realistic goals and secure a fit vision for life

Here's the FaceBook Link

Here's the website

Mark Allen Online- Ads + Website

2009-01-25T09:43:00.004-07:00

I've been helping out Mark Allen Online- Mark & Luis are good people to work for and it's fun to be a small part of their efforts. A couple Ads for this last year along with a website home page redesign that has yet to be built... hopefully Luis can get it going soon...their website has needed a lot of help in a big way for a long time now...

Ads- ProLogo Saddles, Colnago, Descente

2009-01-25T09:24:00.009-07:00

ProLogo Saddles are new to the U.S. so, they need to hit people over the head a bit. These are just a few concepts I came up with and they have yet to be decided upon. It's always a juggling act to showcase a product, show the product and try to emphasize it with an athlete. The Descente Ad (black) was generated in a day's work... I wasn't able to use Tim's photos for this, so I kinda had to hide what a dork this guy looks like. The Women Descente Ad is a comp closer to what the next stage of ads will look like hopefully. Colnago- Again, these were just the first round of ideas, but I guess their solid.

Sidi Shoes Ads-

2009-01-25T09:11:00.005-07:00

Sidi Shoes are known for their comfort, quality and extreme durability. I was able to quickly come up with a campaign I think fits well with their current brand as well as expand upon their strengths. I also used some of Tim De Frisco's photos to come up with another concept where I think they could use real individual riders/people to showcase how they relate to the everyday Joe... making that everyday Joe feel like a Champion.

Check out your VeloNews Mag for the Ads that made the cut.

Work- Jerseys + Stuff

2009-01-25T08:55:00.004-07:00

Mark Van Akkeren needed some help with his team kit this year, (well, he needs a lot of help with a lot of things, but I figure this is a start!! HA!!) so I lended myself to help him out. I also used a lot of the inspiration from that to generate some quick jersey designs for Charlie and her camps in Solvang. Yea, I'm a big fan of techy jerseys, so you'll see a similarity of designs mixed with some crazyness... just my style I guess.

Also gave a bit of help this year to Elizabeth "ELF" Waterstraat with her coaching identity and some postcards she can use to stay in contact with her peeps.

Work- Descente Catalog

2009-01-25T08:37:00.005-07:00

Through my relationship as an athlete with Descente over the years, I think I have a good grasp of their brand- where they've come over the years. I've really seen that company evolve and grow even through some tough times. Their products seem to get better and better. Kristen Brandentich is a good friend who does almost all of their product design. Luckily I was in the right place in the right time to do their new Fall 09 Catalog. I think it turned out pretty well. They hired a phenom local photographer- Tim De Frisco. Total B.A. that does awesome work- had a blast working with him on this- I've used a lot of his work in more of my comps for Ads and such as he's got a style I love.

You'll notice I had to call in some "real" talent for the running section. Friends Dennis Meeker and Heather North as well as Jenni got in on the fun. I just included some of my favorite spreads and pages, not in any particular order.

Descente is a company that really pushes their fabric technologies. They were one of the first to start using Carbon in their gear. For 09, they are using a fabric called MegaHeat that actually warms up when it gets wet by 4 degrees.

Worky Work 1

2009-01-25T07:46:00.012-07:00

Stuff I've been working on.

1. Fit Soul Fit Body Identity + Book Cover Mark Allen's new book with his friend- Brant Secunda. Haven't gotten my copy yet of his book but will see him while he's in town next month.

2. Identity for Colorado Youth Corps Assoc.
Anyone who lives in CO has most likely used or been on land that their groups have restored, built and or maintained. Amazing stuff they do for our state and the youth that are involved. They haven't' chose a final direction, so I included all 3.

Lots of Stuff...

2009-01-22T08:35:00.007-07:00

So, lately, Tim and I have been chatting about motivation, the past, the future, and training ideas. It's gotten me thinking about a lot of stuff. I met Tim fresh off his 13th place in Kona and ever since then, we've gotten to be the best of friends and have delved into some pretty serious stuff as well as some gut wrenching laughing while we train.

With the new year, it brings a lot of new things to both of us in regards to training and what goals we want to accomplish. We've been chatting a lot about our limiters- mentally, physically, etc. I know we both have some regrets in regards to our athletics, but I think we both have to look forward and not in reverse. I still believe deep down, we both have yet to reach our potential.

I committed myself to being a better swimmer last year and I dropped 3 minutes on my IM Kona swim and about 2min on my half im swim. Not that I'm resting on that, but I feel confident already in the pool and have been concentrating on my form and playing off what I developed last season, so I'm already faster in the pool without a ton of meters. With the bike this year, I've committed myself to being better- ie- faster while still maintaining a solid run. I think one thing I need to change on the bike is my head- I have ridden in training with some tough guys, but come race day, I don't believe I've ridden to my fitness nor my potential for fear of blowing up or running poorly. That mind shift can is changeable in my opinion IF, I can really committ myself to biking more in training. Simple right? The off season has seen me doing a lot of weight work- more than I've ever done before and I'm stronger than I've been in years past and it's translating to the bike already. A lot of people have been asking me what I've been doing and well- that's what I've been doing- lifting and biking along with some solid work on the run and in the pool. In years past, I've seen Tim DeBoom out riding his mtn bike in the winter a lot, so I took a page from that in November to mix things up a bit and I believe that's helped my motivation as well as my biking skills. Still running a bit, but keeping my overall volume down. Right now there is a huge gap in my muscular system and my aerobic system (legs are tired, lungs aren't) I am putting a huge emphasis on my nutrition with the help of Craig and Colin at MaxMuscle. I believe this is and will be a key component in a successful season. I am feeling the effects of eating correctly- for me that means, a lot more protein throughout the day.

Thinking back to how I started biking with Tim- we'd talk the night before we'd ride on Saturdays and Sundays. Those mornings, I'd get out of bed early, nervous as I'd KNOW I'd be getting my ass kicked and PRAYING to hang on to his wheel once we started to ride seriously. I clearly remember riding over to Tim's place in the am, being almost sick to my stomach, knowing how I'd be hurting shortly. It would be a coin flip to see what mood he'd be in... but, 90% of the time, he'd be in a great mood on the ride home. Yea, people know Tim for his running, but few people know (Tim + Tony DeBoom do) how good Tim was on the bike in his triathlon days. I have his logs to prove it and having the fastest bike split at Boulder Peak the year Tim DeBoom won Kona is an indication of his skills on two wheels. I guess this got me thinking if I am heading out the door each day on the bike and pushing myself to those levels (out of my comfort zone) on my own?

It got me thinking of days I'd be suffering so much, and I wonder if I do that now? I feel like I am suffering more and doing more, but am I? Each year it gets harder and harder to repeat and outdo the previous year. And now, with some new challenges to face in training and racing, I believe these things will allow me to push to a higher level. I feel different. Although I've gained a normal amount of weight, I feel my fitness coming back to me quicker than ever before.

Another indicator I am seeing is helping Jenni with her training. I've given her 10 weeks of basework- mostly solid aerobic running, lots of hills with a lot of lifting- nothing fancy, but she's put in 40-50 mile running weeks since late October and she's had stronger races than ever before already... 30 seconds on her 5k Turkey Trot and winning a 10-mile race down at Chatfield last weekend. How is this an indication of my fitness? Well, it's what I would give myself, mixed with some old workouts Tim gave me, and now with adding in some speed and tempo, she will be stronger and faster. period.

It's only January, but I'm feeling very optimistic about things.

ok- on another note-
a few new people and sponsors I'd like to mention that both Jenni and I are very excited about and very humbled to have their support.

TriBuys.com
With the help of MM, I was put in touch with Mike and Jen of TriBuys in Cali and they are so, so nice, so they will be our tri shop this year and I hope years to come- Craig Alexander and Chris Leigh are their athletes as well- kinda cool. They are getting together a tri team that should be a close knit group that will be around a lot of races, so that will be fun to be a part of.

Sable Water Optics-
Last year, Angela let us try some of the Sable Goggles, and I will tell you- they are THE best I've even worn. The main feature I love? they do not fog up. Ever. The fit is damn good as well. As much as I don't love swimming, these really help my attitude as well. I know that sounds dumb, but it's true. Yes, they are more expensive than any other goggle out there- BUT, figure this- you probably go through 3-4 pairs of goggles throughout the year at $20 a pop, so- that's $80-100- that's one pair of Sables, and the Sables outlast and outperform anything I've had before.

And last but not least- Specialized. This has kinda been in the works for a while, but we'll be picking up our new S-Works Transitions and hopefully be on them this weekend. Jason at Specialized has been kind enough to help us out over the past few years with our saddles, optics, shoes, etc. and as you've seen, I've been riding their mtn bike a lot. I'll post photos of the bikes when we get them built up.

ok- that's it for now. Hopefully Timmy and I will be posting more video on a regular basis.

Solvang Endure It Camp-

2009-01-19T21:33:00.006-07:00

This is where I'll be headed to March 2nd-8th, with special guest coach- Michael Lovato. Should be a lot of fun and I hope to get in a lot of riding while I'm there and hopefully learn a thing or two from the Vato Lovato.

Charlie (director of the Solvang Triathlon Camps) was kind enough to let me join in the fun for one of her camps, so if you've got the opportunity, I'd highly recommend heading there. She's put her heart and soul into it and I know it's gonna be a blast- I'll be sure to update the blog from there hopefully with some good photos of the fun.

R2T- Ride to Timmy's...

2009-01-19T21:24:00.003-07:00

So, here's a little taste of what I've been up to lately. Today it was 60 degrees plus, so it became my 4th day in a row of riding (wow- Incredible huh?)... but I've got a good jump start on training. I decided to try a little experiment and ride south to Arvada (NW Denver) then up hwy 72, up to Timmy's place. The goal was to get a good idea of some good climbs I can do even with the cold weather- ride up (and not freeze) and then descend to Timmys place. We've been talking about it since before the house was bought and all, so today was the perfect test run, although, I'll most likely do more climbing as I get fitter, then come down and thaw out for a bit and ride home... or have him drive me back home as I cry the entire way. Luckily he was nice enough to come drive down a bit and take some video.

Big Gear Work Courtesy Chris Lieto

2009-01-04T18:58:00.003-07:00

Great videos by Chris Lieto about Big Gear work.

Wednesday- Hills

2008-12-03T11:46:00.005-07:00

Very cold here today. 19 degrees with the windchill. Called Wags this am and decided we'll run together tomorrow. Headed out on my own- man, it was cold. Snowed a bit last night- just a dusting here. Motivation for me is coming back which is good.

Hills today. I love to run hills- probably my favorite workout of all time besides track. Just something about doing something most everyone else hates really attracts me to them. I think they are probably the single most important thing for getting faster and stronger at any distance. Luckily where we live, there are so many places to run a variety of hills.

8.5 total miles. 60:00 with 4.5 miles warm up, then 10 x 1:00 hard hills. 1.5 mile cooldown.

Saw my HR 165-175 which felt good- since they were shorter, I really tried to concentrate on my knee lift and push off from the hip. Rest inbetween was about 1:10 or so... While I did this I thought of a great hill/tempo workout for us, so I'll be sure to try and get it going.

01/02- Monday/Tuesday

2008-12-02T11:08:00.006-07:00

Workouts for Monday:

am. 30:00 easy run. 4 miles.

Upper calf is tight a bit. Felt ok. Ran the trails near my house- about 1 mile from here I can run at an open space where there are quite a few winding trails, so I can get in about 3 miles within a about a .75 square mile area.

pm: 45:00 lifting. Headed to the gym with Jenni and did the usual routine of lifting. Step ups, Core work, leg sled and single leg sled. Not sore at all from it today, so that's good. Jenni lifted like a champ- even though she has a hard time listening to me. :) Ofcourse- I wouldn't listen to me either. I said to her: "what if I was the teacher and you were one of my students and you walked away while I was trying to teach you?" Her reply- " You needed to hold my attention better." thanks. I'll remember that for next time.

Tuesday:

mnt bike. 1:10 with 4 x 5:00 hill repeats on 3.5 min rest downhill.

Felt pretty good during this and it was good to have a bit more focus. The trail I rode is about a mile long from top to bottom. heart rate was 140-155- still aerobic.

December One

2008-12-01T07:54:00.002-07:00

Today I start getting serious about training.

I'm weighing in at 166lbs- about 10lbs heavier than what I raced Kona at. The plan is to start with 8 weeks of base with more structure. Running and biking will be the larger components. Tim and I have been chatting about some ideas we've had and how to incorporate those into my workouts. Again- I have Tims logs from the entire year before he placed 16th at Kona, so I'll be looking to that for a lot of my ideas. I'll try to be better about posting more regularly to hopefully keep myself in check with doing the work I need to do. I'll post my basic skeleton of what I'm thinking soon. I'll also post my end of week weight- which will be interesting. Jenni and I are also starting an eating log for MaxMuscle where they will be giving us input on how to improve our diet- I think this is going to be a huge help.

November MAF test...

2008-11-26T14:29:00.004-07:00

This am- headed over to the track with Ewen and Tim- pretty much laughing the whole way... wanted to get a gauge on how fat and out of shape I am, so I planned on a MAF run test on the track- for me- it works. For the last few weeks- I've pretty much done unstructured workouts usually about an hour in length a day- either running or biking- no swimming yet for me... Tim and I joke about how fat we are. I hate being unfit and I hate how I look and feel right now- (I sound like my wife) BUT- I know it is part of the process and it's how you make long term gains.

Workout today- 2 mile warm up and cool down with 4 miles at 150 HR around the track. 8 miles total.

1: 6:33- 141 avg

2: 6:39- 150 avg

3: 6:41- 149 avg

4: 6:44- 149 avg

Overall, I'm ok with things- I'm honestly VERY surprised- I thought I'd be near 7:15 pace- actually, I'm a bit disappointed- I feel like I need to be less fit- for God's sake- it's November...I don't want to be fit now- which I'm not- maybe this is a good sign for the things to come?? Starting next week, it's time for structure- longer rides and better runs along with yes- swimming...

Take a look at Tims times- he fell off a bit more than I did (1 second) and his heart rate was less consistent. I won.

Run with T

2008-11-25T18:46:00.004-07:00

Today as I dressed to get ready for a run, got a call from Wags and said we were going to head up to check out the new house (yes- it'll happen I know it) and then we'd run a 7.5 mile loop at Walker Ranch. Tim shows up and we drive and chat our way up the canyon- I've driven it before, but I guess I just never really took the time to look around and notice how close we are to our current house. We get there and I gotta tell you, the photos do not do the new place justice- what a great place... ideas of Jenni and I moving up there and loving it came to mind...who knows...

We get to the trail head after a short drive- everything around is either UP or down- can't wait for the training camps to begin. We all see maps of the areas and how close they all are and how they connect, but I guess until you are there, you just don't put it together.

We begin our run on the trail and immediately it's just awesome- I guess I just know there really is not a better place to live. We begin our 7.5 mile trail run/hike/lifting session/Rocky III training session and both of us realize we should of brough the camera... I snapped this off with the phone after we finished. I guess after living here for a while it's good to realize there is so much I have yet to experience- both Tim and I are going to have to do some more driving for our workouts, but it'll be worth it...

Epic run today. I DARE you to find a better place to run and live- I will fight you if you say different.

A-Train

2008-11-21T07:57:00.003-07:00

Ironman Arizona is this weekend, and I'd like to wish by buddy Aaron aka- A-Train the best of luck. We've been exchanging emails for a bit now along with Double M- Matt Moore- good guys from Cali... Aaron is a big kid- 6'6", so I gave him that nick name as I know once he gets moving, it'll be hard to stop him. I'd love to see a cage match between him and Kerrie's Glenn Glenn- that would be a site to see.

would also like to wish- NeoPro- Mark VanAkkeren the best of luck as well.

Go get em guys.

Pushing

2008-11-19T17:20:00.002-07:00

As of late...

2008-11-13T21:09:00.004-07:00

Have been doing my best to not become a sloth. Been trying to run every other day and really enjoying not worrying about my pace or heart rate- just heading out the door and trying to find new routes to run- I think for the first time ever, I left the house without a watch or looking at the clock and just ran- it felt good- weird but good. Again- I have been mountain biking a ton which I hope is keeping my weight below 400lbs.

The biggest adjustments lately have been with getting use to working from home. I'm a slave to routine, rhythms and patterns, so it's taking a bit getting use to flying by the seat of my pants. I really, really am starting to understand how my dad felt when he retired after almost 40 years of working... or a bit of how Tim has been since I've known him or my friend Kevin Penland in Portland how he struggled to work from home. It's been a real eye opener. I almost have to force myself to get out the door and/or interact with humans. Right now, most of my interactions happen with the dogs.

Work has been good and have gotten some good design jobs lately, but getting paid for that work is quite another thing.

YESSSSSSSS!!!

2008-11-10T12:41:00.003-07:00

More research to support Caffeine and Coffee!!! I love you researchers, I love you.

MaxMuscle on Saturday

2008-10-30T13:48:00.006-07:00

Jenni and I have been given the opportunity to be present at a Max Muscle Grand Re-Opening on Saturday in Boulder- we should be there from 10-2, so if you're in Boulder, for sure- stop by- right across from 29th Street Mall. If you've never seen or been in a MaxMuscle store- you should it's pretty f-ing cool- you think- "oh, it's just another GNC"... no way... it's like comparing a garage sale to a high end Tri-Shop. Wow... there is a new store in Greeley near my parents house and I went by it- it's really nice, but I think their products are the interesting part- both Jenni and I are pretty excited about trying out some of their nutrition, this is one thing that I know has made a huge difference this year in my training and racing, and will for sure concentrate on it more for next season.

They actually pride themselves on nutritional education and the how's and why's of nutrition and how it benefits not only your athletic endeavors but your daily life. They aren't into just selling you a bunch of crap.

Kerrie- please bring Glenn by- I told them he was going to be my bouncer, and if he's getting as fat as you say he is, then, I'm sure they've got something to help him.

I will also be putting on a display of power as I bench press (2)-1 gallon milk jugs hanging from a yard stick.

Journals...

2008-10-27T05:32:00.004-07:00

Putting away my training journal for the year has turned into kind of a nostalgic thing for me. I was adding it to the stack and thought I'd take a shot of them. These are my training journals from 2003-2008. They are packed full of cards from Jenni, bits and pieces of training ideas from others, and this year I added a copy of Tim's training journal from 2000- gold in my book.As I look back through the year, it's fun to see my writing- often times right at the end of a work out, before I showered, so my hands are shaky and sweaty... it's just fun for me to remember those training days... lots of suffering. Another great thing you see is the yellow "awesome!" ribbon I got from Tim last year when I was 59th- what a guy huh? :) This year I got a hug- I wonder what he'll give me if I'm top 20?? hum.... :)

Lately...

2008-10-26T15:23:00.002-07:00

This is what I've been doing a lot of to not get fat...loving it!! Jason from Specialized let me use his StumpJumper FSR and I am amazed how what a completely different experience it is riding trails with good equipment...

Kona 2008 Race Report

2008-10-19T13:40:00.013-07:00

Now that things have sunk in for a week and I've had to reflect on the year as a whole, I'm pretty happy with things. Sorry this report is so long- I really intended for this to be a lot shorter... :)

Kona Race Week-

I think this year seemed calmer than most years I've been there. I got there Sunday and everything went pretty smooth and I spent most of my time sitting in the condo, doing a bit of training and enjoying the beach for short spurts. I guess I've gotten numb to the idea of all of these insanely fit looking athletes going up and down Alii Drive. Every morning I'd get up early, drink some coffee, sit and stretch a bit in the dark and roll down to the Pier and be in the water 6:30am and usually get the opportunity to see quite a few friends and sponsors on the way back. I got to stop by and chat a bit with Mark Allen whom I got to know a bit last year with Marco working for him and Luis. I have been doing a bit of freelance for him with a new book of his coming out soon. Such a humble great guy and you get a good feeling around him. My parents also made the trip again this year, so I can say I was surrounded by people to keep me calm. Kerrie and Glenn were there with their girls and it was fun to have things be put into perspective with Lucy walking around Lava Java with her squeeky shoes- being surrounded by friends and family (Jenni decided to come on Friday) is really what mattered most. This year, one of my best friends Chuck Desmoineaux decided to make the trek and add a bit to the support crew and it was awesome to have him there. Along with Marco and Tim in spirit (I always call Tim the day before the race- it's good luck) I was set.

Things started to go downhill a bit on Tuesday and Wednesday with our littlest Daschshund, Rocket- to make a long, sad story short, Jenni was home with him as his health went from bad to worse and she had to put him to sleep. I got a call from her early Wednesday am from her and we both were sobbing. I guess we both came to the conclusion of him being in a better place. With that happening, I guess it made me a bit numb to the rest of what was going on. I was excited to be there and be fitter than I've ever been. Again, like last year- I really had no expectations- yes, I knew what I'd like to do, but end of the day, you're still at the mercy of the elements and what rolls down race day, so all I had to do was show up and do my best. Bike check in was cool this year showing up and racking my bike in the 2nd rack with a lot of the big kids- let me realize just who I was racing...a lot of really, really good people. Gotta tell you, it was a good feeling having a double digit number I'm not gonna lie- can only imagine what it's like to have a single digit number...

Race morning was great because Jenni had came in and I was firing on all cylinders. Got to the Pier and had a few issues pumping up my tires and said a lot of prayers that they stay inflated for the race. I sat down next to Thomas Hellriegel, so it was cool to sit next to one of the veterans. I said my usual goodbyes to Mom, Dad, Jenni and now Chuck and I was ready to go.

Swim- 57 + change

this year, I was determined to have a better swim. With the help of Steve Fleck and Nineteen Wetsuits, I was trying out one of their new skinsuit prototypes- I tried it the week of the race and it felt awesome. Got in the water and off to the left like usual and it was crazy how all the people around me were so nervous, I felt a bit stupid for not feeling that uneasy- it's a long day...no use to get that upset so soon. BAM- the cannon went off and I was about 2 guys off the front line- got bumped a bit at first like usual, but for the most part got off to a great line with another guy. All the way out to the turn, my race top mixed with salt water- began scraping my arm pits and they burned... it's such a "fun" feeling. After the turn boat, I started to really fall into a great rhythm and I think my form actually improved. I pretty much swam alone the whole way back- I actually caught about 3 packs of 10 guys- the only thing I had going for me is I can swim straight, so I think that helped save a lot of energy- I think people expend a lot trying to follow others who zig zag. Got back to the pier and it was weird how it was really calm- years past it's chaos...SO- I didn't have my watch on yet, so I figured I swam really slow, OR maybe I swam under an hour??

T1-

Went pretty well and was uneventful except for slipping completely off my feet as I ran on the carpet- a crowd of volunteers... "OOOOOHHH!!!"

Bike- 5:03

Spent the first couple minutes trying so hard to put my garmin on my wrist while I had a ton of vaseline on them from putting on my arm pits. It actually allowed me to really calm down and get out of town- all I know is it was pretty cool to be out in front of a huge pack of guys. Got out to the QK and just settled in. I really felt I was alone for the most part- yea, you have your usual packs of a few guys trading places, but right away this year- BAM, BAM, BAM- the ref's caught quite a few of them- really good to see. Again, I just kept telling myself to do what I'd done in training for so many months- HR, effort, relax and eat.. this race doesn't start until you get half way to Hawi- which was for sure true... as the climbs began, droves of fat asses were drafting and basically riding in groups, but I didn't worry a whole lot- because I knew they would be toast when we turned the corner into the winds...for sure, started a lot earlier than the few years past- I kept thinking back to everyday this spring and summer I rode in the wind- every single day came down to an advantage- all those guys riding in 70 degree weather in Cali or some other great place, weren't prepared for this... Got to the turn around and felt pretty good about things- grabbed my bag and off I went down the hill. I thought I was prepared for the extra winds, but wow- I was getting hammered- I was honestly scared of my front wheel being blow out from beneath me- there were a few times I had to hit my brakes or almost ditch it into the weeds...luckily it didn't last that long and I was able to maintain a cool head. At this point, again- I spent a lot of my time alone and even more so when we made the turn at mile 80 back to town. I kept thinking back to all those 120+ mile rides and how I was able to finish pretty strong. Heading back became pretty uneventful- passing quite a few people and women euro pros (who I can say, love to draft) at about the 100 mile mark, I felt incredible- honestly- again- like last year, I was rolling back into town and felt just awesome...I knew it would be close- around 5 or so, so I started to think about my game plan Tim and I discussed time and time again... this was it- all that I worked for...

T2-

Did ok- took my time putting on my socks and shoes with a bit of extra care.

Run- 2:58

Got out the first mile and just kept looking at my Garmin and saying- "jog, jog, jog...nothing faster than 6:50"- clicked off the first in like 6:45- then the second mile in 6:15- HOLY SHIT- SLOW DOWN DUMBASS!!! My legs didn't feel that hot and I thought I maybe could of ridden to hard in the wind, but like in training, they felt better with every step. I have to say I went through a lot of heart ache choosing my flats this year and I decided on the Nike Lunar Racers- holy crap, they are awesome. So, the first few miles I was just jogging- waiting, waiting, waiting for the turn at the church- I counted the amateurs in front of me and I was in about 18-20th place at the turn. Jenni and Chuck were riding their bikes giving me encouragement and it really helped a ton. Back into town, I just felt really good and went with a rhythm clicking off 6:35-6:45's- my feet and legs felt great, BUT- for the first time, my stomach felt kinda crappy- "oh no, I've never had to stop at a port-a-potty- now what?" luckily, my stomach was ok and the feeling went away, so I was able to really start to concentrate on things... got up Palini and felt pretty good until I got to the down part out of town- I was hitting a low point..."oh, shit...this can't be happening..." so, I rolled the dice and started to drink Coke- it worked...so, I was able to pull up from a crash through miles 13-15...yet, even with those low parts, I was still gaining on the rest...got to the energy lab and it actually came a lot quicker this year than years past- got down and there were a few age groupers in front of me- saw Tim Hola and gave each other some encouragement like usual and here it was... up that hill and I'd be basically a 10k until home- I dug in and really, really started to feel great from miles 21-24 I felt unstoppable- 6:30 pace or so- I kept thinking back to the day Tim and I ran over 26 in 2:55- the hill back into town was a killer- wow did it hurt- then down and on Alii I decided to slow up and bit and soak in the crowd- all the training days I spent thinking of this scenario... I get close to the line and who do I see standing there? Jenni Keil... it was such a great feeling... I don't know how many total guys I ran down, but I know it was quite a few.

9:05. 5th Amateur overall, 1st US amateur. 39th overall. 6th US athlete.

Was I disappointed I didn't win the overall? yea, I was, but considering the day, I'm super pumped with things and all the sacrifices I made.

Thanks so much to my wife- you are THE best part of me. Thanks to all my friends and family- you were with me every step of the way. Thanks so much to my sponsors- you are a huge part of my success and I'm so honored to represent you.

Kona 2008- Photos 4

2008-10-16T14:50:00.003-07:00

Kona 2008- Photos 3

2008-10-16T08:21:00.004-07:00

Race Morning- Being body marked with the Pros- Luke MacKenzie with the headband

2nd Row- this is how close I was to the "Big Kids"

It was funny. All the commotion of everyone running around and I walk by and sit down to one of the greats- just sitting there watching everyone- Thomas Hellriegel.

Kona 2008- Photos 2

2008-10-16T08:13:00.004-07:00

Kona 2008- Photos 1

2008-10-16T08:03:00.003-07:00

Race Morning

Pre Kona 2008

2008-10-15T14:57:00.015-07:00

ok- I'll start all this stuff from the beginning- a few weeks out from Kona as I think it's relavent as to where my focus was at on all levels. Through Tims blog, he probably gave some indication as to what I was doing and how things were progressing- with his help I was able to judge where I was at both mentally and physically- he helped give me confidence and was a great sounding board- again- something I think that is imperative for successful races and overall improvement along with a lot of support from my incredible wife and friends.

Swim- the weeks leading into Kona, I wasn't neccisarily doing a ton more meters- just staying consistent with what I've been doing since January, but with longer sets- probably still only averaged 12k a week- but one thing I will say now looking back- it was all the things I did all summer and spring- work on my form that helped me come race day- concentrating on my form coming back from the turn helped a ton, plus- I was stronger than years past- saving energy for the bike. 2 weeks out from the race, I felt great in the water- just could really relax and feel the water, so I guess in a way, I was hoping for that feeling to transfer to the ocean and it did.

Bike- this is probably what I was worried about most. Doing most all of my riding on my own this time leading into Kona, I really had nothing to judge my progress from. Plus- I stopped riding with the PowerTap quite a few weeks out- just another number I really didn't need to see leading into the race. I concentrated on my form a bit more and also doing more big gear workouts. Also came some shorter higher heart rate efforts- usually to Ward and home (1 hr easy build to Lefthand, then an hour (hour + 5 minutes to be exact) then 1.5 hr home with a few efforts). Not terribly different from 2007, but I feel that although I was biking only a bit more, it didn't allow me to recover as much- plus, I was running almost 15 more miles a week this year than last, so that limited my recovery as well. 2 weeks out with the increase in rest, I was able to see my heart rate pop up more quickly, so I knew the recovery was working- to be honest- I was worried about doing too much and felt pretty tired for a lot of my bike workouts- I worried a lot about maintaining an even effort in the later parts of a 5-7 hr ride- 3 weeks out I still did almost 25 hrs- so, overall I was holding that amount of time consistently over a longer period of weeks. I had the confidence from a summer of riding a lot more higher heart rate efforts for a lot of my half-ironman races. I think there were some key milestones I was able to do and used them as building blocks- riding quite a few 120+ mile rides, a 128 mile ride, a couple 7 hr rides. Were these fast? Hell no, but I can say that about halfway through these rides I started to feel really, really good, so I knew my fitness and endurance were solid. Although I hated it this spring- riding in the wind all the time really prepared me mentally for the winds in Kona.

Run- I think the biggest thing I had going for me this year was staying healthy. I believe running more actually helped that component. Overall, I put in 10-15 miles more a week running for this years build. I think some of this strength came from a lot of what I did in the winter- jumping rope, weights, and by far the biggest addition- recovery- wearing my Skins after every workout- I know a lot of people know about compression garments and their benefit- hell, if you don't, you probably should. Another key thing that happened this year was not only all the MAF work I accumulated, but all of the above MAF work I did for my half-ironman races. I believe that structure worked well for my build and strength leading into Kona. As per Tim- you knew I was doing the work, plus, a few weeks out, I was able to handle the harder track sessions and absorb that work better. I knew after a couple workouts the weeks before my run was going to

be good no matter what. Ok- you look at my time from last year to this year and I only improved by a couple minutes, but I think that's significant in that the bike was harder (and bike faster) and I was still able to run faster.

Race Data- See the attached images- I downloaded these from my Garmin- the distances are a bit short as I didn't turn my watch on for the first little bit of the bike and stopped it a bit early to switch over to the run. Not putting this stuff in the race report as I don't know if it really matters.

1- Ironman Race Data-

I'm pretty pumped looking at my average pace on the bike- held pretty consistent. You can also see where I struggled on the run.

Garmin Bike Data- you can see that 98% of my biking was done within that 140-150 HR zone. Yes- there are some brief instances where I let it get above- specifically where I had to pass some people on hills and such. You can also see that I got tired from about 4:30 on, plus it's hard to keep your speed and HR up into the wind I've found. The good thing was seeing my average HR at 146- so I know my HR raises a bit with humidity and heat, so I would guess that would be an average HR of about 140 here if this was a workout...

Garmin Run Data

Overall a pretty even effort, yet I know I can run faster- I still think it's my mind that in the way. I was really trying to run on feel and rhythm, I was hitting my lap buttons without looking. My average HR was 144- man, I've got to find a way to hurt more I think- probably doing more long runs at 150+ on HR rather than pace, but that's tricky I would think.

Run Splits: 2:58- 6: 49 Pace Average.

1: 6:45 2: 6:16 (whoops) 3: 6:48 4: 6:46 5: 6:44 6: 6:48 7: 6:40 8: 6:44 9: 6:33 10: 6:49 11: 7:05 (up Palini)

12: 6:32 13: 6:45 14: 6:56 (start dark spot- started to drink Coke) 15: 6:59 16: 7:04 17: 6:42

18: 6:38 (down energy lab- 110 degrees) 19: 7:10 (grabbed special needs- COKE!!) 20: 7:02 21: 6:43 22: 6:39

23: 6:39 24: 6:56 (hill back before Palani) 25: 6:15 (down Palani) 26: 1:50?? (stopped my watch)

Home Sweet Home

2008-10-14T16:29:00.003-07:00

Made it home today after being up for 24+ hrs traveling and all. Man, it's good to be home. Will be posting some race stuff soon- reports, numbers, thoughts, etc. just to log things for reference.

thanks to everyone for their support- really means a lot.

35-39 Age group men

2008-10-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

Taken from Ironmanlive.com

35-39
Defending champion, Elmar Schuberth is racing as a Professional this year, and second place Xabi Lekue is not registered so there will definitely be a changing of the guard this year. Of those to watch, I feel that the champion may come out of a 70.3 qualifying race; in particular the performances of Luis De La Torre and Jeff Keil.

De La Torre hails from Kailua-Kona, so that’s not a bad place to start when preparing for the Ironman World Championships. Combined with his fourth overall performance at Honu (4:19) and his fourth place finish in the 35-39 age group in 2007, places De La Torre as one of the key players poised to take the overall in 2008.

Others to watch include:
Jeff Keil (California 4:25) 8th place in 2007, a great runner, and potentially could take top spot in 2008.
Ronan Pavoni (St. Croix 4:40)
Niels-Otto Silkjaer (Ironman Lanzarote 9:35) If you win your age group in Lanzarote, you’re a man to watch in Kona. Silkjaer is also coached by Tommy Nielson.
Anthony Philippe (Ironman Florida 9:07)
Thomas J Vonach. Always in the mix in Kona

Uber Athletes

2008-10-08T07:29:00.003-07:00

9News Viedo Clip. Click Here for video version. It is is the 3rd one down

On Wednesday, Susie profiled Jeff Keil from Louisville to show how support and time management are factors in any workout program.

Jeff and his wife Jenni aren't just partners in marriage, they're also workout partners.

They actually met during a workout.

“I was running one way around the track and she was running the other way around the track,” says Jeff.

Now they are almost inseparable in their training

“It helps that we do the same thing, because we're up at 4:45 in the morning,” says Jennie. “If I had to get up alone and Jeff’s in bed, that makes it hard. So the fact that he's up with me at 4:45 makes life easy.”

Lately Jeff has been working out a few more hours than Jenni however as he prepares for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii on October 11th.

“I just decided I needed a new challenge and Ironman is just a whole different ballgame.”

This year will mark his 4th trip to Kona and even at age 37 he finishes each race better than the previous. In fact last year he was the 11th American to finish the race, and he's not a pro. No, Jeff holds down a full time job and fits training in-between his working hours.

“(I) workout before work, go to work,” Jeff explains. “When everybody else is at lunch, I’m running or biking, then go to work again. Then in the evenings workout again, so basically 2 or 3 workouts a day.”

It sounds like a lot of work, and it is, but the Keils are very efficient with their calendar.

“I think we're really good at using our time efficiently and you have to be if you're in this sport,” says Jenni.

In addition, the Keils are firm believers in Skins, which Jeff credits for being able to perform better and better as he ages. Skins make compression performance clothing; their US headquarters are in Boulder, Colorado.

Thanks-

2008-10-04T19:04:00.002-07:00

Just like to take a moment to say thank you to all the kind words and support I've gotten this last week from my friends and family. Thanks to my wife and soulmate Jenni, who constructed a good luck album for me with some quotes and pieces of inspiration from family and friends. Tim came over and gave me some good encouragement and helped look over my bike, and we had a great get together last night in downtown Louisville at The Empire Lounge with some our close friends. It really means a lot to me to have people like you in our lives. Thanks to everyone.

Hopefully I'll be posting some updates while we're on the big island.

9news- Wednesday October 8th...

2008-10-01T16:33:00.003-07:00

Tune in at 6:40am and 8:40am and there might be a surprise... and yes- you can really get a feel for what a dork I am.

Wolfgang...

2008-09-29T14:38:00.004-07:00

Found this today getting some inspiration. Jump ahead of the Hoyt stuff to about 2 minutes. Interviewing Wolfgang as he crushes it. To think I get to have this guy yelling at me in Masters.

Moments of Clarity

2008-09-24T11:08:00.002-07:00

Over the last month, I'd have to say things that were once cloudy are now becoming clear. Moments referring to my job situation- being laid off could of been one of the best things to ever happen to me. Moments that clarify my connection to my friends and wife, and yes- today was one of those moments in training. I look back to Tims logs (I've photocopied) from when he was 16th overall at Kona as the #1 Amateur and I see things like- "Best workout of my life" and today, was one of those days for me- good thing I had a couple guys there to witness.

Today ran with Tim and Bob as they showed up to my house. Every time I run with Tim I question how I'm going to feel and hope that I can perform, or at least, that we both feel good. Bob joined us today- good guy- thanks Bob- nails- that's all I'm going to say about him. :)

Workout- 3.5 mile warm up, then 2 x 3 miles with 400 jog inbetween. 5 miles easy cool down. 1:40 total time. 15 miles.

3.5 miles warm up to Monach track, then I just wanted to run above MAF- 160-170 HR. Not sure what pace it would be- tempo- uncomfortably smooth. Ofcourse- days of track come back to me and I get competative- good thing I had Tim there to tell me I was being stupid- BUT, anyway- after I settled down the first mile, we got into a good rhythm and we even took turns every 800m at the front. 3 miles: 5:29, 5:36, 5:35- obviously, I went out to fast- it's been so long since I've run like that, so it's good to get that out of my system now. Then 400 m easy jog. then 3 miles descending: 5:47 (felt easy), 5:40, 5:23. Now THAT was a blast.

How did I feel? Pretty damn close to awesome. I can't believe I'm saying that- one of those days where all you can think is: "thank you sir may I have another?"

Good stuff today. Thanks guys.

1 Day...

2008-09-24T06:47:00.004-07:00

I have GOT to get me one of these.

Like I said to Tim yesterday in an email. It's amazing what 1 day can do. 1 day? 1 day of complete rest.

To be honest, I've had doubts. Doubts if I've done enough. Doubts if I've done too much. And, well- I guess I still don't know about all that, and well- time will tell I guess in 2.5 weeks. I think it's normal to have doubts (as well as hopes) no matter who you are. BUT- taking 1 day completely off on Monday and getting a massage from Katie at Tri-Massage, then getting up Tuesday am and going to the pool I swam 4500 as 9x 500's and it felt awesome. I later got on the bike and went for a ride and felt a bit sluggish from the massage, but felt better and better every moment. Then I show up to coach Bold Running in the pm and my legs felt... fresh.

Hum, what a weird concept- this Rest thing. :) Again- I look back to last years logs and I was taking my easy days,

super easy leading into the last 4-5 weeks- this year, I've upped my mileage by about 15-20 miles a week for running- from 40 miles to now 55-60 miles. My bike has been upped as well, so I feel like I've changed the template a bit with more volume, so I shouldn't be surprised about still feeling like crap most days.

So, who knows, but it's those kind of days like yesterday that are moments of clarity that change your whole outlook on things. I know deep down I've done the work and I know what it takes to try and be 100%. I think it's days like that that we need to take note of and build from- take them with a grain of salt, just like the bad ones, but I need those days to remind myself of where I'm at.

On a separate note- I've been on a bit of an iTunes buying frenzy lately- just needing some new music to listen to. I'm a huge Drum & Bass fan and usually buy from a record label: Hospital Records- London Elektricity is one of my favorites. Positive, rolling good vibe music.

ketchup...

2008-09-17T20:34:00.002-07:00

alright. alright. I know- way to long for a non-post. As I'm sure with a lot of people- lots going on.

Last week- not a giant week of training but a lot of good quality. Right around 24 hrs total. As I'm sure you read in Tim's Blog, we had a great run on Sunday- it's fun to run with Tim as I end up having to stop at least 2x to catch my breath from laughing. Jenni of course rode support, so it was cool to have her along for the ride.

Really nothing exciting to report except that I'm feeling good and good signs of things feeling really good hours into a workout. I really feel the work I've put in this year into my nutrition and recovery are really making a huge difference. Although, like I said before, I have yet to really take naps, I am able to really eat well pre and post along with other methods to help bounce back quicker than ever before.

Tuesday/Wednesday-

Tuesday started off at 8:30 am riding from our house up to Ward (9000ft) down to Peak to Peak Hwy and then down to Lyons and back up and over. 7 hrs of riding, 122 miles, then I bricked to 2 miles. The kicker for Tuesday came after that as I had to rush to shower, eat, then head off to coach Bold Running and try and run 5 miles with the crew. Actually, I really think it helped almost massage my legs a bit.

Wednesday-

Got out the door late- noon, rode for 3+ hours with some intervals and then ran 8 miles- 138 avg hr. 6:32 avg pace- just felt great.

so, yea- things are clicking. Hope to keep the gas on.

Forgot

2008-09-12T08:36:00.002-07:00

I forgot to post this- check it out:

Zoot Kona T-Shirt Winner

I've known about it for a few weeks and had to make a few modifications to the artwork- but it'll be cool to see the T-Shirts in Kona.

Week Review- 6 Weeks out

2008-09-09T04:59:00.003-07:00

Last week finally got in somewhat of a routine with freelance and training- still have yet to master "the nap"...

Anyway- the big workout for the week came Saturday with a 6:30 ride to Stove Prairy + Rist Canyon- 128 miles. It seems lately I've been noticing that I lack the stamina to stay strong in the final hours, so, I'd try and concentrate on that. Got out about 3:30 ride time, then after about 30 minutes of over fueling and spinning, I decided to lay it down for as long as I could. Riding back, it was weird to look down at my mileage and see 90+ and I wasn't even back to Hygene yet. Rode tough until about 120 miles/6 hrs, then shut it down.

Ran with Tim on Thursday up/down Lefthand and my quads were still sore till Sunday. Ran long on Sunday- 20miles in 2:15, 135 avg hr, 6:44 avg pace. Looked back at last years logs and my HR was almost 15 beats higher for that same effort and distance...

Only 24.5 hrs last week, but that was with 2 days almost completely off. Swim: 13k/4.0, Bike: 303mi/15:30, Run: 53mi/5.0

Hopefully I can start to turn the corner this week.

Nike Vomero 3+ Nike Lunar Trainer

2008-08-31T17:09:00.003-07:00

Figure I'd write a review of my Nike Shoes. In the past- Nike has been hit or miss with their shoes. Over the last couple of years, they've really done well with making some solid shoes- yes, some of them are stupid, but overall, I think the Bowerman Series of shoes have shown that they are listening to their athletes. All my shoes are courtesy Boulder Running Company- anyone down there I get my shoes from are a great resource in that they put you in the right shoes.

Nike Vomero 3- I've been running in these since this series came out- Last year, I had 3 pairs of the Vomero 2's- and this is my 2nd pair. I love em- I always struggle to get a shoe with enough forefoot cushioning and this shoe rocks. I usually get about 400 miles out of a pair. Cush yet have some great features I think add a bit of stability, and they hold up pretty well as well. They breath well and work for any type of surface.

Nike Lunar Trainer- I've heard about these for a while now and BRC got me a pair- got them before I was laid off. Yea, you hear about the idea behind them- using the same seat cushion material NASA uses in the Space Shuttle. Blah, Blah, Blah.

I was sceptical at first- they seemed really soft and I eased into them and am trading them off with my Vomero's. 6 miles here, 8

miles there, then I ran 15 in them the other day out on hwy 128- pounding them on the pavement in the heat- I know from experience- shoes that don't have much outsole heat up and give you blisters. I thought these would do the same- but nope. I thought they'd be super non supportive- but I think the wider midsole platform absorb that roll in and allow you to follow your own natural foot pronation. The upper is super breathable. I've got about 70 miles on these thus far and love em more and more. Only thing I'm watching and waiting on is the durability- we'll see how the bottoms hold up. Another negative- these are not made to run on rocks- crushed trails like around here- totally fine- but stepping on quarter sized rocks- you can feel it.

With both of these shoes, they are very cushioned with not much support, BUT you pair these with a good insole and you get the best of both worlds. Love em. Good work Nike- keep up the good work.

on track...

2008-08-31T14:01:00.004-07:00

Job-

After a couple rough days dealing with the job crap- things are looking good on all fronts. Amazingly enough, although it's stressful without a job- I feel as if a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Going in and doing a job that I just don't believe in- making development companies money. Although I worked with some really great people- I'm excited about the possibilities of being my own boss doing freelance design. I've had some great offers this week and if they work out- things will be good- I'm excited about stepping out and trying a new way of work. I have

to say- I'm most proud of the of

fers I've had- from friends and friends of friends that I've kept in contact with over the years. Thanks to them all. I'll also break some good news about some other design stuff when I can. Good stuff.

Jenni-

J + Angela raced the 24-Hrs of Traithlon (8-Hr 2 women Team) yesterday and absolutely rocked it! There were 400 people doing this race this year as apposed to 40 the first year and the whole event seemed like a blast. Chuck and I were support crew while the ladies crushed it. Third 2-person team overall, First Women with 8 triathlons counted. They looked strong the whole day. The 24-Hour teams- wow, no matter how fit or tough you think you are- that stuff is toughness on a whole new level. Props to those who did this. I hope this event gets bigger and bigger.

Training-

Taking a page from some top athletes. I am working with a general skeleton from what I have done before, yet- I can adapt things and roll days back and forth as my body dictates. It's a bit weird, yet- it's kinda fun and less stressful in terms of getting stuff

done. I topped out this week with about 25hrs. Swim: 3:10 / 10.1k Bike: 14:00 / 246mi Run: 7:35 / 63 mi.

Yesterday while Jenni and Angela competed I went for my long run on the pavement around Cherry Creek State Park- I think a pretty good Kona simulation. 3:00 total run time. 26.5 miles. 2:55 avg pace with an average hr of 138. I felt really really strong from miles 10-20, picked it up for a few miles from 20-24 and felt great, then slowed things down the final 2. After running 15 miles in my Nike Vomero 3's- I stopped and changed shoes- my new Nike Lunar Trainers- I love both of these shoes- very nice on the feet. I am feeling so strong right now on the run. I am biking ok- and hoping that all the extra work can help me turn a corner and start to feel strong there as well.

Ceepo-

As you can see- I've gotten my new ride for Kona. Absolutely beautiful. thanks Russ! Same exact frame as my old Venom with the new paint scheme. Note the tiny skulls on my cables- some great JuJu from Lucho. The Zipps are borrowed from Marco. Should be a great set up for Kona.

Week Review-

2008-08-24T16:56:00.003-07:00

Had a pretty good week this last week, with the exception of the whole job thing. :) Running with Tim on Thursday really helped my confidence level and that will continue to build- he challenged me to run 3 hrs- which I think I ran 2:45 for my longest run last year, so I will be sure to take that on. :)

Weekend was good- Saturday rode 110 miles in 5:10, and ended up with 115 in 5:30 or so, then ran 5 miles off of that- which is always interesting getting out the door- the first step in the hardest. Tim, Jo and Ben came over for dinner and we had a blast watching Ben and Blu (our Blue Healer) play with one another- Ben would thow the ball, Blu would catch it. Ben would laugh. Repeat 100x.

Sunday I rode up to Jamestown, then down, then TT'd home- 3:30 ride time then ran 10 miles in 1:10. Luckily, I ran into Vaughn from the Rocky Mounts Tri Team at about mile 6 and he rode his mtn bike home with me- thanks Vaughn it really helped me!

Swim: 3:00 | 9900m

Bike: 14:30 | 282 mi

Run: 6:10 | 53mi

Total: 23.5 hrs for the week.

Should be interesting to see if a new schedule will play out. Obviously, more rest is going to happen, but I'll ease into some new, hopefully good habits.

Good News + Bad News...

2008-08-22T10:55:00.003-07:00

Seems like Jenni and I have been on some ups and downs lately... Initially a down with some of Jenni's health this summer as some of you know, but found out yesterday- all of her tests came back negative- absolutely made my day to hear that.

On the downside from that-
I was called into one of the partners offices today and was told I was being laid off because they didn't have enough work to keep me around. So, that was the bad news, but the good news is- I see this as an opportunity to put my talents and efforts into something I really enjoy- so, if anyone knows anyone in need of a Graphic Designer, Dog Walker or General fit guy to do yard work- lemme know.

It's a downer financially, but I think it could be for the best- maybe I can spend some more time training...and hell, if I train hard enough- what's the winner at Kona get $100,000?? Oh, wait- that's if your a professional...damn. :)

Kerrie- you need a babysitter or a maid??

Thursday Long Run

2008-08-21T08:52:00.003-07:00

Headed out today and met up with Tim. 20 miles. 6:43 pace. 2:16.
Tim rode his single speed mtn bike with me and was head Sherpa. Great run and we had a blast- only had to stop once from laughing- usually it's every other mile. Ran a pretty solid, hilly course. The funniest part was on a connecting road we take between Broomfield and Lafayette where cards were stacked in a line and we decided to switch sides and the guy tried to run me down- just to get in line again and wait in traffic- Tim and I were pissed but it turned to laughter soon after. Good stuff.

Got home, we were discussing Tim's plan from 2000 when he won the Age Group WC at Kona, and who walks out? Jenni Keil... she tells me she's made my lunch (2 veggie burritos) and is going to get me coffee... what a wife huh? Days like this make me feel so lucky.

8 weeks

2008-08-17T18:58:00.003-07:00

This last week, we all decided I needed a true rest week- so, that's what I did- some solid resting- yet, my sleep has been suffering with the Olympics. 8 weeks out and things will get interesting.

Saw this today which really bummed me out- Broken Toe or whatever- TDB is still the original B.A.:

Deboom out of Leadville 100

New Olympic Sport

2008-08-12T14:05:00.001-07:00

This one goes to 11

2008-08-11T13:38:00.012-07:00

5430 Long Course was this last weekend- the 3rd race in the 5430 race series. I've raced this race as far back as 2003? (I think) When this race wasn't a series- it was a full ironman and a half. Actually our friend- Dennis Meeker won it that year (right Dennis?) Along with Craig Greenslit right in the mix in his first Ironman- going 10:30 at altitude!! Anyway- I decided to post some photos from years past to commemorate how relatively small and home feeling this race use to be, and now- it's grown into such a how do you say it?? ... "growth". Don't get me wrong- it's great to see Triathlon grow, but this race as well as other local races just aren't what they use to be unfortunately. It's bitter sweet I guess.

This race was once won by our one and only Chuckie V with a jersey that said: "Your Logo Here". I remember a team of DeBoom Brothers showed up and crushed along with Nicole. Ever hear of the Lovatos? as well as quite a few other top names would show up and test themselves and their training for various big events just around the corner. Things change- and now- 5430 (so named by the original director of this race) has become a local race series business that includes a sprint, Boulder Peak and the 5430 Long. It's amazing the amount of people that have stepped up to race this distance as well as athletes that are here (mostly from AU and NZ). The run course has pretty much stayed the same as well as the swim course, but the bike course has gotten considerably easier do to the 2 loop course- it use to be a lot harder, yet- it's had to change because of course- you wouldn't want to hold anyone up on their way to where ever it is they are going. It's life- things change. For me- I could do without all the hoopla and extra stuff- I like the small home grown races (Kona being the exception)

On the positive side- it's a great opportunity for us to see the great friends we've gained over the years at the races and see the positive impact something like this brings to the community and helps shed a bit of light onto triathlon- and hell- it's great to see a bigger prize purse go to the professionals who work so hard for peanuts- but don't get me started on that.

Another positive is that the race offers amateurs $$$ for their performances in the series- where, our good friend- Craig Greenslit captured the crown this year- Great Work CG!! (yes Mark, I know you won it last year :) ) It's too bad the local Tri Magazine and others don't quite give this guy the credit he deserves- he crushes people in any distance all over the nation- all on limited training with 2 kids and while not being affiliated with Team Timex or sucking up to race directors- Imagine that!!! It's also great to see all the families and volunteers who show up and give their time and effort- a huge thanks to you guys.

Where's this stupid post going? I guess I could say it in 1 word- "evolution". I got on this subject because of Jenni really, but first- I think to my own evolution as a triathlete- I started off racing Duathlons with great help from Mike Ricci of D3, then turned my sights to triathlon because well, there were more races to choose from. I started off racing this distance with a poor first performance in 2001 at Ralphs Half Ironman where I went- 5:15 as I walked most of the run- I found out how hard this distance is from the get-go. Then, somehow, I was able to find success one year at the 5430 and raced I think 4:35?? then DNF'd the next year as I was just training too hard. In a round about way- I became friends with Lucho and he helped me evolve into the athlete I am today in a lot of ways along with my then girlfriend- Jenni Jageman- now- wife. :) Tim helped me run a 2:40 marathon when we began working together. Incidentally- talk about evolution- I met Jenni on the track while she was training for the Olympic Marathon Trials- she decides to leave that and try her hand at Duathlon and she works her way into becoming a World and National Champion. (that's her in 2003- giving me support on the run- chokes me up seeing it)

Over the span of 7 years- I guess I've evolved. I've placed as high as 8th I think- beating out Cam Widoff (only because his wetsuit came off in the water) and even in the top 10 a few times beating some pretty good guys in the sport- but that was when the race was relatively small. My progression at the 5430 Race went from 4:35, 4:33, 4:20's, 4:teens , 4:08 last year to now- 4:05- and still- placing 11th overall- damn! :) I guess I am posting this to show that things don't happen overnight. Am I BMOC now? no way- I get my ass handed to me a lot, by some really, really good guys- I have come a long way, but man, I'd like to hope that I can continue to progress and evolve. So- I went from a 4:33- in 2003 and 8th place overall to a 4:05 in 2008 as 11th overall- how's that for evolution? I guess it shows how triathlon as well as other athletes have evolved. (shot from 2005 to the right)

Yesterdays race was bitter sweet. Sweet in that it was great to run by and see Craig Greenslit, it was sweet to see Angela do so well, it was sweet to show up, feel like crap and still do well. Although I wasn't able to stay for the awards as Jenni was the priority not the podium. It was sweet to walk away from there yesterday knowing I gave my best and came out on top in a big way- not because I was the top amateur, but because it was a good test on where I was for the day- showed me my cycling and swimming are evolving with a lot of hard work- that's big for me- even if I didn't feel that hot. Big because I've got bigger fish to fry come October.

It was bitter in that I see some great athletes like Craig Greenslit (as well as others) get no mention. It was bitter to see GG racing well and his wife Kerrie sitting and cheering us on because of some dumbass lady hit her. It was bitter to go into this race and see athletes drafting and I didn't see 1 Marshall on the bike course- NOT ONE!!! Why is it we pay USAT?? It was bitter in that I saw all the hard work and training Jenni has done this year- stepping up and trying something so completely different and absolutely growing by leaps and bounds. I saw her do so well in Texas and she is so much better now than she was before that race. It was bitter to see what she's gone through the last month or so, have a tough week, then show up and try to work through it- but, we all know what the problem was- something that she knows happens every month- I've seen her have these boutes in training, but it just so happened- this came during race week/day- just bad timing. that's it.

I see that bitter sweetness from the outside now. She's on that point in the curve I was, yet- still- so far, far ahead of where I began- she's evolving as well and that process sometimes is bitter sweet. I know we will both look back and laugh at yesterday. I see her progression as a person and athlete- and, like evolution- it takes time- mark my words- this is the beginning of some great stuff from Jenni Keil.

This really isn't much of a race report- I swam solid on a waaaaaaay long swim- 29+ (note Eric Peterson is a great swimmer and swam 26- usually swims 22/23). I biked really well for me- 2:14- (25mph) and ran solid off of that- 1:18- 6th fastest run overall. I finished 4:05- 1st amateur and 11th overall.

Evolution is a process- great things aren't built quickly, so you might as well enjoy it- the bitter and the sweet.

WWSE??

2008-08-05T14:15:00.001-07:00

What Would Simon Eat??

Great post by one of the best on what he eats.

Totals-

2008-08-04T08:07:00.003-07:00

Just under 24 hrs.

Swim: 12.5k / 4.5hrs.
Bike: 307mi / 16 hrs.
Run: 30mi / 3.0 hrs.

Had a great weekend of riding. CV and I rode for 6:20, 120miles to Rist Canyon and back, then Sunday rode some farm roads out east I haven't ridden in a long time. Running took a bit of a back seat, but I think that's ok for now.

Quite Possibly the Best Website out there...

2008-08-01T10:10:00.005-07:00

Here it is: Despair.com Found this a few years ago and the motivational/demotivational posters are amazing. The Blog is pretty funny as well as the writing is simply genius.

A Bit of Fun...

2008-08-01T09:22:00.004-07:00

Saw this competition on xtri.com and thought it'd be fun to try and quickly get a few designs going. If you feel like it- Comment on what you like/dislike and which design you like the best- I'm curious to see what kind of submissions Zoot will get. I really don't care about winning their gear package, but the spirit of competition- even with a stupid t-shirt design contest drives me...

Six Hundred Sixty Six...

2008-07-31T20:25:00.005-07:00

So... yea... Tonight we ran the Pearl Street Mile- Jenni comes down and picks me up, I get us parked near the race start and she goes and signs us up- She comes back and says- "guess what number you are?" -"what?" -"six, six, six" HA! HAAAAA! I shit you not- I knew then, I'd have to run like the devil.

This week was a week we planned with some rest- Monday was completely off (Can't remember the last full day I've had off) and Tuesday was active rest for me. I tested a 2 HR @ 150 HR Wednesday and I felt tired- not rested, so waking up and running long this am, then trying to run the pearl street mile probably wouldn't be a good idea. So, I ran easy this am and felt pretty good, swam 3k at lunch and knew if I could warm up quite a bit before the mile, I should be fine. Well- I started my warm up at 5:45- the competitive wave didn't go off until 7:20- so, I ran about 6 miles in warm up- slow, pick ups, walking....honestly, the warm up was almost the toughest part.. almost...

For those of you that don't know- the Pearl Street Mile is a great event started way back- runs out and down 800m the east side of the Pearl Street Mall, then back up a hill to the finish around a corner- not a fast course at all. The course record is 4:10, Steve Slattery won it last year in 4:16. The prize money is shit, but all the good guys and women around town show up- it's a great event that is big with families- runners of all ages and just a goddamn blast to see people bust out a mile. Chuck and Angela show up to cheer us on and enjoy the Boulder Festivities.

The whole time in warming up- I'm trying to remember what it's like to hurt like this- all I wanted to do was 1- not get injured and 2- go under 5:00. It's stuff like this you hear about how people get tweeked...It's always fun to warm up and see everyone in the community- lots of our BoldRunning Groups were there and so it was great to run around and see everyone. Warmed up a bit with Jenni and Devin a high schooler she was going to pace, then Justin Gildenspeger- a super fast guy that shows up to run with us on Tuesdays- he's a 14:00 5k guy...looks like an antelope with a beard. :) Jenni paced Devin about 3/4 of a mile, then took off to run a 5:45 pretty easily and win her wave... atta girl! "that's my wife!!" I wonder what she would of run on her own? sub 5:20 is my bet.

Finally, we get to the Start line- I look around and think again- "What the F#*K am I doing here?" I just hope I don't F*$K up... insane fast guys are around me. Bam- we're off and I am waaaaaaaaaaaay back- everyone goes out so fast- I round 2 corners and start to move- guys are blowing already at 400m- a wall of 3 guys are huffing and puffing- I shove my way through, get down to the turn at 800m and head back up the hill and there is a bit of bumping with a couple guys struggling to hang onto their insides... I just stay focused on Justin in front of me- he ran 4:35 last year- so if I can keep him in sight... head up the hill and I pass like 10 guys- no joke- I am looking ahead the the traffic signal- at that, it's 200m to the finish- round the curve and head in- I note that I could of hurt a bit more... but ran a solid race- 4:39. I think my time officially was a 4:40, but I'm sticking with the 4:39. The winner ran 4:10- I was in 18th place! Holy crap- that's Boulder for you. All that for 4 minutes and 39 seconds? Hell- not bad for an Ironman triathlete huh? Must of been the 666.

Thank you Sir. May I have another?

2008-07-28T06:03:00.007-07:00

Getting your ass kicked is fun I guess. This weekend I got quite a large helping of whoop ass with a side of ass kicker smothered in a lovely beat down sauce.

Friday-

Weekend started off a bit sad with saying goodbye to our friends Marco + Elizabeth. CV, Jenni and I went to West End to send them off back to Tennessee for them to start a new life with the process of owning a Fleet Feet. Really sad to see them go, but happy for them and taking some chances on doing what is in their hearts. Angela was out of town back to Calgary to do some ass kicking of her own. Read about it here.

Saturday-
am masters swim- 5700m. ScottyC.
Showed up and swam with Dennis, CV, LT (Laura Tingle) and every other pro triathlete in town it seems. Actually was a pretty fun time and I swam well.
bike. 100miles in under 4:30.
Backed that up with a group ride as Chuckie and I headed over to Boulder to meet up with Dennis, Gordo, Chris McDonald, Bryan Rhodes- Rhodsey and another South African Pro. When we roll up to the fire house- my first thoughts were- "oh no, what have I got myself into?" Luckily chatting with Dennis helped to settle my nerves- at least I'd get my ass kicked by a by a couple others I knew. :) We roll out of Boulder each taking turns on the front. Bryan Rhodes and Chris McD. look like goddamn rugby players and all these guys were strong as hell, and both are super nice guys. Even CV with his limited fitness (so he says) rode tough (like there was any doubt he woudn't). Heading back from Masonville, Gordo turns things up to 11 and I fall back, but luckily Dennis and CV work their way back up to him, but not until after a while- I was able to bridge back to them after they decided to slow back into Boulder. It was a good test of hanging tough- one that I haven't done in a long time- since riding with Lucho back in the day- looking at someones rear wheel hoping and praying for a car to hit you. :) 5hr ride 106 miles. Chuckie and I were laughing on the way home while the midget kick boxers continued to beat our legs down...
Brick Run- 5 miles. 33+
Got off the bike and expected to feel like total crap and ended up wanting to run more. Amazingly enough I felt pretty good and 6-6:20 min pace at a descent heart rate left me feeling good.
Saturday ended up being about 7 hrs of workout time, all good stuff.

Sunday-
MAF test + Sherpa's Chai Challenge
Sunday am, Jenni and I woke up and went over to Centaurus Track to run our MAF test with a few others. We warmed up and cannot tell you how crappy I felt- I had pretty low expectations as to how the test would go- just praying that I could hang with you know who. Decided I would run 3 miles and see how it went- ended up running 5 and feeling better as things went on- Kerrie and I traded some blows EACH TIME I LAPPED HER!. LOL- actually, I'm frightened of her. Next week- I'm planning on running 10 miles at MAF and see how that goes.

3:30 Bike. 63mi.
Rode with CV and Chad from BoldRunning- thank God they were there to distract me from hurting.

Week Review: 23.5 hrs.

Swim: 15k // 5.5hrs

Bike: 222m // 11.5 hrs

Run: 53m // 6.5 hrs

In the pm- Chuck and Angela pick us up after Angela's Second Win in 6 days! Yea, I probably wouldn't pay attention to her work ethic or Chuck's coaching- probably doesn't work. Angela treated us to an awesome dinner at Sherpa's. I've never been there, but man the food was so good. Chuck and I took the Chai Challenge and drank 6 cups of Chai. Not sure about Chuck sleeping- I did ok, except for the tooth griding...Oh, and the clawing at the walls for 4 hrs. :)

All in all- a great week of training. I'm pretty happy with where things are at, but I'm even happier to see Jenni absolutely crushing it. As we walked the dogs last night (at 9:30pm) we chatted about things. I think I've enjoyed this year more than ever because I get to see Jenni do so well- excel at things and push herself past limits. Although she's in a bit of a learning period, I know what she's doing will allow her to make gains for the long haul- she's absorbing so many good things- Being able to sidestep and grow from a lot of the mistakes I made- she's swimming faster in 8 months than I did over 3 years!!!. I don't sit here and pretend that we spend everyday skipping through flowers, but taking a step back and looking at this last week and weekend- spending time with good friends doing what we love is a great reminder of how good we really have it.

Came across these...

2008-07-24T19:58:00.004-07:00

2 of my favorite photos from the Buffalo Springs trip.

19 miles today in 2:17. Ran up 4th street around Wonderland Lake, then up and over Old Stage and down to Lefthand Canyon and back. It was a tough ass run- hot out and I think I was a bit dehydrated going into it.

Lately been feeling Iike I'm burning the candle at both ends- just have to get my head straight and get in a rhythm.

New Stuff...

2008-07-21T09:08:00.007-07:00

Weekend was a BIG ONE for our little circle of friends. We got to see Angela destroy people, while not rested, newly to altitude and it's not even her race!! She was first at the Boulder Peak this weekend- I was able to see her absolutely CRUSHING the bike while Jenni cheered her on in the run. Here's a recap from the Daily Camera. It's great to see all the help from CV and all the hard work paying off. Jenni and I got in some great training in the hot, hot weather as well.

I'd also like to mention a few of our friends- Craig Greenslit rocked the Age Group race in 2:00 At Boulder Peak along with Andy Biglow at the 5th spot. Pretty fast for some fellow old guys. Great work guys! Another guy I'd like to mention is Matt Moore- a friend I've been emailing a bit since my race in Cali- Matt's a good friend of Michaelle and Drew- the couple I stayed with there. It was Matt's first Half Ironman at Vineman and he rocked it in 5:14. Swim 00:34:07.5 T1 00:02:49.4 Bike 02:44:53.3 T2 -- Run 01:51:17.0 Finish 05:12:02.8 It's great to see him put in so much hard work and have it pay off. Great work Matt!!!

It's fun to share in peoples successes. I guess it's a good reminder of why Jenni and I do what we do- we get to share and experience through some great friendships we've made over the years.

One last thing- on our trip to Te-hass- Texas to Buffalo Springs- while fueling up at the local Lubbock Texas Grocer- we picked up some Raw Revolution Bars. These bars are insanely good- they taste like candy bars but are organic and are made with really good stuff for you. Chuck loved them as well- which is saying a lot with his picky eating. Jenni and I were able to find them at Whole Foods and picked some up. I figured, what the hell and sent them some info and they were kind enough to offer helping out the Keil Family with our race and training nutrition! thanks David!! I'd highly recommend checking them out- you won't be disappointed. Try the Chocolate Coconut....yummmmmm.

More Training Stuff...

2008-07-18T14:44:00.003-07:00

This week: 13 weeks out.
Mon-
swim- 2500m
swam next to Laura Bennett, Greg Bennett, Chris Legh, Gordo and a few others- Christ on a Crutch is all I can say.
run- easy pm 5 miles. 35 min. HR avg 131

Tues-
swim- 3700m
with Chuck, Jenni and Angela at Scott Carpenter. Lots of getting my ass kicked, but my form is getting a major overhaul- and funny thing was- I thought I was beginning to be a good swimmer- guess not. Main set was 12 x 150's various paces.
run- 10 miles MAF test.
WU: 3 miles. 6 miles around the track at 150 avg HR. 6:20-6:35 average pace. Felt great.
run- 5 miles pm. With Bold Running. Had a blast with my usual crew.

Wed-
swim- 3800m
masters. Really trying to hold my adjusted form even at the cost of speed.
bike- noon. 1:50.

Thurs-
Run- noon. 10 miles. Legs felt heavy.
Stroke + Stride-
pm. 1500m swim, no wetsuit. 26 + change? it was long. Run: 17:30? Felt like total crap- 5:35 first and last mile.

Friday-
Swim- noon. 3000yrds. Spruce Pool.

Saturday-
Bike- 105mi. 6:00.
Run- brick. 4 miles. 30:00.

Sunday-
Run- 2:07. 18.5 miles.
Bike- 3:20. 56miles.
Swim- pm- 2000 mostly pulling.

This week- 24hrs. with my largest swim week ever. 17k. Just under 60 miles running. Switching things up this week was good I think- a shock to the system in a lot of ways in every discipline.

1:44-

2008-07-16T09:25:00.002-07:00

Note that the guy who wins this race is in last place going through the first lap- going through the first lap in 50.3- he was more like 51.5. At 200 m to go, he's still in last place, but pushes his chips to the center... "All in"...

It's Good...

2008-07-14T18:50:00.004-07:00

...to get your ass handed to you. Over the last week, I've gotten back into the swing of things. Training wise- I got in nearly 22hrs. I found out Sunday am- swimming with Angela, Jenni and Ian along with Chuck on deck- just how much work I've got to do with my swimming, let alone everything else. I've also been giving my diet some tweeking (yet- still caffeinated. :) ) and although I'm not losing weight, I feel the changes are good ones.

With Jenni being gone last week, I was going from 5am to 10pm each night- just seemed like my days became one endless day- oooh poor me.... I'm sure people with kids probably just read this and laugh, but I guess I'm a baby- I like my little world and my little pattern of things in life- when that pattern is upset- I get topped, cranky and mean. I know I've been slacking on the bloggy blog posting- I guess I really don't have a lot to say. I will probably just go back to posting my workout stuff- I realize most people really don't care, but I'm not posting my workouts to brag nor to let everyone else know what I'm doing- it's for me and my circle of friends to communicate. Wow- I'm in a mood huh?

So- last week I clocked about 22 hrs. I started off feeling like total crap, but towards the end of the week, I was feeling solid. 14k + swimming (4hrs), 200mi bike (12 hrs), 50+ mi running. (6hrs). Sunday as Jenni and I were riding we ran into Dennis Meeker and Laura Tingle, and they rode with us- it was great to get out and chat with them for a while- helped the time pass- Jenni can tell you, I was cranky and it somehow snapped me out of it.

This week: 13 weeks out.
Mon-
swim- 2500m
swam next to Laura Bennett, Greg Bennett, Chris Legh, Gordo and a few others- Christ on a Crutch is all I can say.
run- easy pm 5 miles. 35 min. HR avg 131

Tues-
swim- 3700m
with Chuck, Jenni and Angela at Scott Carpenter. Lots of getting my ass kicked, but my form is getting a major overhaul- and funny thing was- I thought I was beginning to be a good swimmer- guess not. Main set was 12 x 150's various paces.
run- 10 miles MAF test.
WU: 3 miles. 6 miles around the track at 150 avg HR. 6:20-6:35 average pace. Felt great.
run- 5 miles pm. With Bold Running. Had a blast with my usual crew.

Wed-
swim- 3800m
masters. Really trying to hold my adjusted form even at the cost of speed.
bike-

Excuses...

2008-07-10T14:56:00.002-07:00

13.5 weeks until Kona. Looking at the calender, that doesn't really seem like a very long time.

Chuck sent me this when I decided to give him an excuse of why I couldn't do the stroke + stride tonight. I got back into the swing of things this week- with the help of Angela, Chuckie and Tim last week. Well, I really can't say it was "help" but more like ass kicking. Rode Friday + Saturday with C + A, then ran long with Tim on Sunday. Carrying things into my first real week back into training, I feel like I'm already carrying a lot of fatigue, which I guess isn't really a bad thing. With Jenni gone, the added stress and lack of sleep and "download time" I think it's just a combination of a few things that have added up, but it'll all pass.

Ran 15 miles today at lunch in pretty hot conditions. 1:45 total time and my legs were so goddamn heavy- only managed 7:15 pace, but kept my HR under 150 for most everything. avg hr of 141.

RattleSnake Sunday + Weekend Fun-

2008-07-06T21:04:00.004-07:00

Got back into the swing of things this weekend- from the 4th to today. Did a lot of riding with CV and Angela. We had a lot of fun introducing Angela to our weird little world. With Jenni gone, I now have to juggle a few more things, but I guess it helps me face all the things that she does for me and us. Got out the door today with Tim and ran long- honestly had a blasty. 18 miles- 2:15- we took it pretty slow, but it was good after a few long days of riding. Angela is getting a fill heaping helping of our sick and twisted humor- I hope we don't tarnish her pureness. And well, I'm silently scared of when she gets acclimated to the altitude. It's fun to have the old gang around to ride and run with.

The 12 legs of Furry Fury aka- Lucy, Blu and Rocket have been pretty tired as they've been getting walked a ton. Today in the pm- as I was walking them (off the leash) Blu rolled up on a RattleSnake- wow, that really gets the adrenaline going- she ran by him and wow, was that snake pissed- lots of hissing and rattling- that creature is just amazing- we stood (dogs now on leashes) and watched him for a bit. So, needless to say, the dogs will be on the leash now.

While we were away, my parents took care of the dogs and well, they had a blast- especially Lucy. My mom called us while we were in Lubbock and let us know, Lucy was able to catch a squirrel- her dream. Although small, Lucy, our 16lb Daschsound is ferocious- she can sit and watch squirrels in my parents yard for hours. So- my mom lets the dogs out in the am- 6am, she sees Lucy tear after a squirrel and to her luck, he tries to jump though the fence and his head gets caught- so, Lucy seizes her chance and latches on and thrashes him about like a rag doll- lucky for him, she let him go and he runs off with a few scratches, and Lucy gets a couple as well. So- the score- Lucy - 1 Squrrels - 0. and yes- I know the above photo is a prairie dog, but it's too funny.

BSLT 2008

2008-07-03T14:16:00.006-07:00

ok- not the best race report- more of a brain dump...so,

Pre-Race

training leading up to this race has been top notch. Absolutely flawless? no, but have had solid weeks of 10k plus swims, Good biking and numerous great runs. End of the day, I’ve been consistent like no other season before.

The week prior to race week I got sick and let it get into my chest, so, I spent a lot of my time trying to do whatever it took to get better- and one thing was for sure- I didn’t want any excuses of why I didn’t do well come race day. So- the final 2 weeks of prep didn’t go exactly as planned. Plus, with this being my 2nd time in a month of getting sick, I figure it was my bodies way of telling me to rest. I guess this is why I wasn’t doing much posting on my blog- just didn’t want to announce to anyone or really admit something wasn’t going right- again- it seems with every race I struggle with the sickness invasion. I like to blame it on people I work with, but it really comes down to how I take care of myself.

Jenni leaving for New Hampshire played a major stress this year on us, as we spend race week prepping for that- emotionally and in other ways. My way of handling it is to avoid thinking about it, her’s is to bring it to the surface and talk about it. Another glaring point in how men and women differ. :)

This year we were blessed with the presence of Chuckie V joining us for the ride to Lubbock, Texas and I can tell you, it put my mind at ease, having a friend and “expert” join in the fun. We laughed, chatted and got an ear full of nutrition, training and lots of other stuff. Reminded me of days of our rides last summer and a few race advnetures with Lucho from years past. Also marking this year- the first year Jenni would leave the spectating seats and jump into the arena head first. I have never seen Jenni so dedicated to her training, and it showed- she was fit and looked like she was chisled out of wood, so both of us guys were excited to see her race. The drive to Lubbock was pretty uneventful, yet fun and got to Texas looking at weather forecasts of 103 degrees- YES! I thought- I love it when weather plays a part in things. I guess I’d like to think I race well in tough conditions. The day and a half in Lubbock was good- good rest and solid nutrition prep and somehow, my cold subsided and I can say I don’t think there was a trace of it on race day.

Race morning- Jenni and I popped out of bed. Stuff was set and we drove to the Lake with CV in tow. I guess I didn’t really feel that stressed- years before, I had to come and get my slot of Kona, but not this year- all I had to do was come and race, so I felt a bit at ease, yet I wanted Jenni to have a great race. We grab our stuff and down we go to the Lake- Jenni comes to me after being marked and tells me her seat is loose- “fuck” of all the times...so go to the bike support and deal with that, but we had plenty of time, so no big deal. We get our stuff set and we’re good to go.

Swim- 25+ Change- we get down to the water and all I hope is that the same thing doesn’t happen like last year- guys running along the right side of the shallow shore for 400 meters then jumping in- nope- no dice- the Pros do it, so ofcourse- everyone else has to. All I can say is- THIS IS A TRIATHLON- 3 disciplines- swim, bike, run- not run, swim, run, swim, bike, run. Any of you reading this that ran along the shore to gain an extra 30 seconds- you’re a fucking pussy. Dennis Meeker and I started off way to the left and just got in and swam- I felt really good- out to the first buoy, I see all the douchbags that ran along the shore struggling already as they redlined. I got into a really good rhythm and thought of CV’s and Wolfgangs help as I pretty much swam alone the whole time. Got out and hoped I swam as good as I felt- a lot less of a struggle than ever before. Got to my bike and T1 went pretty smooth. I'd like to thank Steve Fleck of 19 Wetsuits for my Frequency- it's so comfortable- I love it.

Bike- 2:30 with a flat. Got out of the res and looked around to a heavily clouded sky and knew the 103 degree heat wouldn’t be with us, but the wind would. Exiting the lake area, I let my HR hover just under 160, and knew it was my top end and it would come down- heading out on the flat chip sealed roads, the wind blasted from the left and it took a bit longer to settle in- out down to the first big hill an dI see Laura Tingle standing there with a flat- “hang in there- don’t panic” I yell- she would later DNF- goddamn it. Anyway- so out to our first turn around and I see the usual suspects and keep track of them and the split between the groups. At about mile 20, it starts to pelt us with rain- fun times. The way back to the other sections of the course, you have a huge headwind- we get to our first turn and a guy I pass says, “this sucks” and I immidiately feed off of it- I know he’s beaten already, I love it. My fueling goes well and my heart rate settles- we get to other hilly sections and most of us are braking heavily and playing it safe on the descents. At about mile 50, I feel my back tire a bit soft- “is it flat?” yep- flatted- fuck. fuck. fuck. I ride it for as long as I can to the last aid station and try and change it as quickly as possible and think about calling it a day, but figure I’ll just ride as hard as I can in and then get off and run what I can...T2 isn’t as smooth as usual as my mind is other places- I am slow here, but get out and decided to run as hard as I could. a huge thanks to Russ from Ceepo- I am so comfortable on the Venom and it's stiff as hell. Jason from Specialized for the bottle cages, shoes and sunglasses- takes care of all the important parts.

Run- immediately I get out there and see Chuck and he gives me some splits. My legs felt great and I immediately get into a groove- 5:50 pace or so with a guy trying to hang- I can tell he’s running way too fast- mile’s 1-3 I click off and feel great- the hill leading out of the park, I catch a couple guys and just keep the gas on through mile 4- I felt great- almost too good- I am feeling like this course wasn’t as tough as I once thought it was- get out to the Energy Lab 2 and see Tim Hola- we exchange encouragement- he’s heading back, I’m headed to the turn around- I fuel up and keep looking at my HR- low 160’s and my pace is 6:10ish, so I decide to pick it up. It’s about mile 7 where I start thinking back to my tempo runs with Lucho and think 2x 3 miles. miles 9-11 go without incident as I start laying it down and catching 3-4 guys- mostly guys in the wave ahead of us along with a few pros- 5:20 miles on the downs, 6:20's on the ups. I see Jenni heading out about mile 3 and she looks so goddamn comfortable- just smooth, so I am hoping she feels as good as she looks. Miles 12-13 were ok as I pushed as hard as I could- Chuckie was there the final mile with some good words. Thanks to Jodi at Jaggad- the new apparel is flawless. And a huge shout to TriSports and the whole crew there- as always you guys take such great care of us with everything. Greg at Boulder Running Company- the racing flats and training shoes- a huge part in my training and racing success.

Overall, I am pleased with my race- 4:17- a PR for the course- even with the flat and insane wind. I ran 1:19- not super fast, but I’m happy with it considering the course- 4th fastest run- I think the fastest amateur run time.

It always sucks to lose- especially when it's due to something out of your control- BUT, if you're gonna lose- losing to a nice guy like Tim Hola makes it a bit easier to swallow. Jenni had a great first race- although she had higher expectations, Chuckie and I assured her how tough your first half is and how tough BSLT is. What could I of done better? not really sure at this point.

Even before this race, my mind is other places- with Jenni and with the next stage of the season- prep for Kona. I’m really excited to get into things, but resting now- mentally and physically is a part of that prep.

Thanks to my friends, sponsors and family for all of their support. Jenni- I'm so very proud of you. CV + Lucho- all your advice and help with my training and prep made a huge impact. I'd like to thank Edwin and Jamie of Boulder Natural Meats- the meats we've been eating have been such a huge part of our good diets and have really helped us improve our training- you share in our success.

Sit Tight...

2008-07-01T05:34:00.004-07:00

Allright- nag, nag, nag about the bloggy blog posting. Lots to catch up on.

Jenni, CV and I just got back from Texas yesterday after a 10 hr drive, then had to pack Jenni's stuff up for her month in New Hampshire, then I'm off to NYC for 2 days for work.

Thanks to all who emailed and texted the support. Will be filling in more asap, so sit tight.

Hills + Wind + No Caffeine = Big Fun

2008-06-12T13:58:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was a crappy day. Jenni and I decided to try and ween ourselves off coffee- I said, "sure, how bad could it be?" So, Jenni got some decaf coffee, and I thought- well, it's probably the warm drink in the am that I love as much as coffee- so, after getting up, I drank up and we headed out to swim. Well, got in the water and I knew it was going to be a hard workout- at this point, I forgot about the lack of caffeine and just figured I was tired... the swim got worse and worse- I ended up getting out 10 minutes early and looked at Wolfgang and said, "I just don't have it today." to which he said, "it happens." then, it struck me late- "no coffee" could it really be that big of an enhancement? Chatted with Wolfgang about it and he agreed- it is... Could I really be that fatigued?? So, me going without coffee lasted about 2 hrs. Now, don't get me wrong- I really don't drink it all day- just in the am's, so I'll reduce my intake first rather than cold turkey. I love you coffee, and no we are not breaking up- ever.

On another note- Ok- can't complain about the weather- at least it's been warm. With that said, it's been windy here lately- that's an understatement. Yesterday was a good ride up SugarLoaf with a headwind- fun times- it totally made me feel like crap, along with the no coffee jolt. My legs were dirt tired. Today- 6.5 miles up the canyon, up 4-mile over Poorman and back down- I felt goddamn good- almost great the entire time. 6:20 average- 13 miles. 1:20.

Good Post from Gordo

2008-06-11T09:53:00.003-07:00

Read this today about G's Training/Racing Ideas. Usually a lot of his posts read like hieroglyphics and you need a decoder ring to decipher, but this is a simple pool of ideas that are pretty easy to understand.

Athletic Legacies and Training Speeds.

Tuesday's with Tim

2008-06-10T19:40:00.003-07:00

I'm going to start naming my Tuesdays with Tim- T with T. Kinda like Weekend at Bernies, or Tuesdays with Morrie, or Manic Mondays, or Sunday Bloody Sunday, or Saturday Night Fever. ok. ok. Point is- it's always an adventure. Ever since I met Tim and we started to run and ride together- whenever we headed out- it would be sure to be a lot of suffering- mostly on my end, but always ends with a lot of laughing.

Another sure thing when we meet up, we always seem to be on the opposite ends of the scale, which actually makes it that much more fun. This yard stick is always brought out early on. "How do you feel?" "What's your heart rate?" And more often than not, one of us is bound to say, "I feel like shit." Which, actually, when Tim says that, it usually means I'm in for a lot of suffering because he ends up feeling good. I usually give some half assed answer like, "I'm not sure yet" or I'm not warmed up yet" or I go into a few excuses as to why I am not feeling good- but, this is another reason why I run with Tim- he doesn't care what excuse I have (well, he does care) but he just doesn't listen to it or believe it. I think we end up sounding like a couple of old men complaining about our health.

This am, I show up and Tim and GZ is there. GZ ended up running on his own as he's dealing with an injury.

Plan- 4 laps of 3 miles. 1 warm up, 1 at 6:10, 1 at sub 6, 1 at whatever we had left.

1:15 total time.

Lap 1: 22:10 118 avg hr

Lap 2: 17:56 131 avg hr. 6:04 pace (?)

Lap 3: 17:30 157 avg hr. 5:53 pace

Lap 4: 16:58 165 avg hr. 5:49 pace

Overall, I think I felt pretty good. Tim and I discussed my limiters for BSLT and I think we really worked those today. Had a pretty good headwind for the first part of every lap for about 1-1.5 miles- made it for more fun.

thanks guys.

I'd like to see more people come out, so anyone who wants to join T with T. 6am at Davidson Mesa in Louisville across from Harper Lake.

Why I Hate Researchers...

2008-06-05T14:44:00.003-07:00

Here's one article saying this about Nutrition Then there's this one about Nutrition and Recovery As you read the articles- they point out specific examples of the everyday Joe who honestly probably won't feel or gain from the effects of pre and post workout nutrition- in the first article, they specify that an athlete who works out at least 2x a day will most likely receive benefits from a fueling strategy. Again- it's the people that crunch the numbers and say one thing without actually experiencing a method first hand, then there's the people who actually are doing the work and know what works and what doesn't.

It's no wonder we always second guess ourselves and wonder what we're suppose to do and what we're not. One minute this is right, then the next, something else.

Thursday- Run

2008-06-05T13:55:00.004-07:00

In the rain. 14.25 miles. 1:27. 6:15 avg pace. 149 avg HR.

Went out the door and felt pretty damn good from step 1, but looking down at my pace and HR I was a bit disappointed, so I decided to pull a Lucho and pick it up. Tim taught me a long time ago if things weren't responding- rather than cashing it in and calling it a day and quitting- try picking it up- more often than not, it works to help me snap out of my funk. So, after about 4-5 miles, I decided to negative split each mile- and/or work my half-im pacing... here's the splits:

01- 6:53
02- 6:33
03- 6:25
04- 6:16
05- 6:25
06- 6:27
07- 6:21
08- 6:03
09- 6:01
10- 5:46 (154 avg hr)
11- 5:54 (160 avg hr)
12- 5:44
13- 5:58
14- 6:37 (Cooldown)

Here's to you Aussies!!!

2008-06-03T19:23:00.001-07:00

Clash of the Titans

2008-06-03T09:42:00.002-07:00

Last night, Jenni and I decided to join Kerrie + Glenn and a few others over at FlatIrons to swim Masters with Wolfgang since we slept in Monday am. I show up and immediately, Glenn walks through the door- he looks like a goddamn club bouncer you don't want to fool with- Fight or Flight kicked in and I started reaching for my ID. :) After a few minutes, Woflgang walks through the door and we start to chat. FYI- a plaque hangs on the wall at FlatIrons with a couple photos of him and a tiny, tiny speedo- wow, if he wore that... ouch.

So, we get in and warm up and I'm next to Glenn's lane as a ton of people show up- some pretty fast guys next to me- we do our workout and the entire time, all I could think about was how choppy the water was- it was like Clash of the Titans next to me with all those chubby guys (chubby but faster than me mind you) are churning up the water. I've never swallowed so much water- even in a race.

Tuesday- AM- Davidson Mesa-
With Lucho, Kerrie Justin G and Jenni- we did our tempo run and it was a lot of fun- until the third lap when I thought my stomach was going to burst from my gut. Things went well and I mostly felt really good- Tim and I chatted about some things I need to work on- mostly above my shoulders.

Radar...

2008-05-30T14:07:00.002-07:00

Not really much on the radar to report. After last weeks training and the BB capping off a big weekend and starting this week, it's seemed to tire me out a bit- huh- imagine that... even taking Tuesday off. Easy run Wed, Big Gear bike Thursday and another easy run today- all seemed like my legs were missing a snap to them- also seem to have caught a bit of a cold this week- saying a prayer to not get sick right now. Going to try and sleep a lot this weekend. Jenni put the finishing touches on our little courtyard of a yard yesterday and it looks great- you can tell the dogs are happier about it. Work has been busy, which is good, but really nothing else to really say.

Next week I'm hoping to have a good tough run on Tuesday am- so, if any of you pu88ies that read this want to show up at Davidson Mesa at 6 am to run an 8 mile tempo with me- be there- Lucho, Simon and Craig, this means you. Bring your chinese stars and capes.