Hill work time

Im posting some hill work times so I have something to go back on. I did 14:40 up Brant canyon on the mountain bike. I did it twice from the turn at the bottom to the gate on the right.

recovery going good!

It's been one week since my crash and thing's are going real good. Getting better everyday. My arm mobility is still real limited but I am able to lift heaver things everyday. I got on the road bike for the first time today and wasn't bad at all. I little pain but as much as I thought. Idid a ride of 3 hours with 4500 feet of climbing.

Sea Otter Classic report

The Sea otter classic is always the best race to see where I land in my fitness and my ability to good at the Coolest 24 hour race in May. My volume for the months prior to the race was way down. I was only doing a 8-12 hours a week of exercise. I have a big life/work change so I'm still adjusting to it. My weight and fitness seem to be right where I wanted it. The few day's prior to the race was to rest and keep the calorie intake way down because I wasn't exercising.

Race morning came and was excited to race. As always got there real early before the race start. My group was starting at 8:25 on the actual race track at Laguna Seca. The temperature was going to be a big factor today. I knew this when the temperature hit almost 80 degree's before the start. So I drank half a bottle of fluid and calories before the start and took one bottle with me. And were off. I manage to stay up front pretty easy. We stayed on the paved race track for almost 1 mile before hitting the cross country course. I made a mistake and got out front before hitting the track. That put me middle field entering the dirt. I found my groove pretty fast and hit it hard as I could. Trying to keep it steady and not blow up on the climbs. This is a real hard course with all the climbing. Got to the first and only aid station with no problems. By this time I was starting to climb back up through the field. The temperature was climbing fast. I noticed a lot of riders already starting to cramp and slowing down. At the aid station I crabbed one bottle of fluids with calories and sucked down one gu packet and sucked down the rest of my bottle. So I get through the first lap of two and feeling the effects of the heat. I grabbed two more full bottles at the half way point and kept on drinking. I kept the pace hard and was pushing the peddles. I had to back off a few times before I blew myself up. I started to pass a lot of riders and everybody pace seem to drop off dramatically. I figure I was in the top 10 going into the second lap. Well about 3 quarters of the way through the 2nd lap I crashed hard. The hardest I ever remembering crashing. When I went over the handle bars I knew it was going to be bad. My head slammed into the ground and then my shoulder hit the ground and I heard a big pop. There I was laying on the ground in the middle of a down hill section on the ground trying gather my injured body and bike off to the side of the course before I got run over. I sat there in bit of fogged daise. I waited for a bit before checking my extremity's for injury's. My head was leaning toward my shoulder, my left shoulder was starting to hurt. I stood up and I knew I wasn't getting back on the bike. I couldn't even lift up my left arm. I remembered a few cars and volunteers a few hills behind my so I grabbed my bike and my broken ass and started walking. We'll after the trip to the emergency room and ex ray's I ended up with a separated shoulder, swollen knee, and a bruised race confidence. My worst injury yet! Except for my over training issues I suppose. Look like 2-4 weeks before I recover. Then I get start my training again.

Sea Otter course

I went to ford ord today to ride the Sea Otter course on last time. I started around 8:30 am and the weather was incredible. Warm with very little clouds. The trails are still nice and hard but the corners are starting to get real sandy. My goal for this was to ride the course hard and fast and try and get some hard stuff in. I rode easy for the last few day's because I was a little fatigue from more hard work. Warmed up for 15 minutes than hit the course. I was still a little sore but felt good overall. I started at hwy 68 and reservation rd entrance. Once I got to the race track I came across Grieg Heinz, our local fast pro here from Salinas. They were just starting so I went past them, not because I was faster but I suppose they were just getting started. He rides for Joslyn's. I wanted to ride with him but had to stick to my ride today. I was surprised I didn't see more riders than I did. I was riding pretty hard, I perceived exertion was about 90-100%. I felt really good and hit it hard the hole course. I was a lot faster than last week when I did the course. So hopefully I can carry that power into next weekend for the race. I still haven't signed up yet. Maybe this week. The next week will be easy steady riding with short intervals.

Wowy!

Well now I know what a bear feels like after waking up from a long siesta (hibernation is what they call it). But here in Soledad everybody siestaing:). I'm going to do a little review of what has been going on in my life as an endurance athlete. After my race in May of last year I was so tired physical from the past six years of training real hard. Was it to hard? I really don't know if it was to hard. Or maybe i just don't want to believe that because what I was doing was something I enjoyed doing so much. Weather it was biking ruining or swimming it was something I have grown to love. The feeling of your heart pumping, hair in the wind or the water flowing across your body was nice. I will admit I did it to much and to often without much of breaks and what happened after may was the price I paid for it, major fatigue, deep fatigued in my body. My mental state always bounces back real fast. I can remember waking up countless times and feeling that feeling of going out and hammering 100+ mile bike ride but getting only to get an hour or so into the ride and having to call for rescue. And even before my rescue came I was walking of the bike. So as a good compulsive addict person I am I would not give up. I tried eating more, eating less, more vitamins, less vitamins, more sleep, less sleep, more sex, less sex. I was trying it all. I was not giving into the idea the I worked to hard. The only real obvious reason for my fatigue. Nope not me! As you can see I tried everything bu rest, sleep, and a mental break. But after every try I came up with the same results. I hear all the time athletes taking months or weeks of in winter or after the season but not me. I was so highly motivated to keep my fitness and try to be faster. I had some great results in the last six years. I'm proud of myself from going from 240 lbs 8 years ago to wining my first attempt at a 24 hour race less than three years. Then winning 2006 age group 24 hours world champion in Georgia. I even won my first Ironman attempt. I have had great success. So to really question my process that I was doing is a little quationable for me. I always think in my mind well it worked then why not know? Is it age? Probably. But as I fought this for months I did take a break. I rode some, ran and swim but nothing like I was doing. Maybe 3-10 hours a week if I was lucky or felt like it. I was just taking it day by day week by week and month by month. I knew in my head I wouldn't be able to keep that pace of training for ever but wouldn't change it for nothing. The memories I have are price less. I'm doing so much better today than yesterday and getting stronger and faster by the day. I feel the long rest period of 7 months was just what I needed, well I think i will have to weight and see after some racing. But here am am doing still trying to figure out a good amount of hours to train and still be physically sound. I'm sure it wont be as much as before but I think I will be a lot smarter about it. Because I know deep down you cannot get fast without pain and hard day's and weeks, just impossible. I did start training in January but nothing hard at all. I always here you think its tough to train fast, then try training slow. That was tough! To train slow, keep the heart rate down and the distance to a minimum. I hope it works. Well I do know thru the hole peeking processes you cant be fast all the time, at least that I do know and have experienced. Over my health and life is good. What an experience though!

Yes the retaining wall in my back yard is up and looking pretty cool! I will post a pick later. That's what I have been trying to do to fight of the urge to train so much. Looks like my shed and lawn won't go in for a while. Cost reason's. But its a process and to do it right will take some time.

Right know I'm trying to get ready for Sea Otter as long it doesn't rain on race day I will to it and then decide if I will 24 hours of cool the first weekend of May and will depend on work or lack of work. I have been training like I am going to do the race but not a 100% committed right know. Also would like to do the hole series. Jim Northey puts a great race and know he's got a hole series of awesome endurance races in really cool places. If you ever did one of his races you definitely would not be disappointed at all. I guarantee it!

I have to go for know and decide were to ride today. Looks like the sun is out but chance of rain. Then of to work tonight.

Happy holidays!

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Just to update everyone.... Brian has been busy working two jobs and building a retaining wall in our backyard, in lieu of training, these past four months. It has been an interesting break in his routine, but he's planning on coming back to race next year, so watch out!

In the coming weeks, I will be cleaning up the blog, indexing and updating for Brian, so check back in the new year!

Well another week is gone. This Sunday seemes like it is lasting fore ever. I have been training steady and getting stronger and feeling better every week. At least thats what I keep telling myself,"ha ha" hopefully the positive thinking will work. Although I do feel better but not 100 percent. Im working out about 1-2 hours a day. Just keeping it short and simple. Its still tuff to ride anything over 3 hours. I didn't ride yesterday because still trying to build a retaining wall in my back ride. But I did get the footing poured and ready for the rock wall to be set next week.

At the end of last week I was working in buitiful Felton Santa Cruz area. So many hills to ride on. And next week I will be there all week. I can't wait to ride Bonny Doon, Hwy 9 to skyline, Jamisine creek rd during the week.

Anyway thought I would p;ost something to help me to keep writing. I don't get near rthe computer much anymore.

Anybody ever have to go traininig anonymous...lol

Well, Well, Well. Where to start. I see I wrote about my race over 2 months ago so that's good...lol. I have a bad case of fatigue that hasn't been fun at all. Not only fatigue but some depression to go with that. I have been a big baby in excepting what was going on. And like a good hard headed person I can be I didn't want to be defeated by some fatigue. A broken leg or arm would of been nice cause at least I could see it, sounds weird I know but makes sense to me. I have never really had to take time off from training and racing, well at least and extended period of time, meaning more than a few weeks. I did have a bunch of blood work taken but the doc said I have the healthiest blood he has ever seen and nothing he could see was wrong. I thought for sure he had to be wrong. This extended period of no training has been all new to me. I always felt I would never stop unless something serious happened. It has taken me awhile to adjust and except what is going on. I'm getting older and life changes has brought on a new era. I have to rest, rest and more rest to get myself back together so I can get out there and do what I love. " ride ride ride". As I look at it know it wasn't all bad, just seemed bad. Here I was with sponsors and my promises I couldn't keep. So I put a lot of pressure on myself because I couldn't perform at the level I was used to. So I had to except the changes that were dealt to me and move on. I will have to incorporate a lot more rest day's and not hold myself to so many hours a week and focus on speed and my health and life. I have know only started to train again and feel better than ever. Finally the fatigue fog is starting to remove. I just have to be care full and not to overload myself with hammer workout everyday of the week, maybe limit them to a couple and even might scratch those depending on how I feel. I know I just can't handle the volume I used to week after week, day after day. Its just unrealistic for me know. Not saying I wont do it from time to time but very limited know. Cause I still want to get out there and do 200+ weekends, I love that stuff. But it won't happen week after week. That will not help my overall goal in staying fast and strong.

One great thing about all this rest is that it couldn't be more perfect timing, I get to watch every stage of the Tour, what and exciting one it has been. So all my time hasn't been soaking in tears:)

As far as I schedule I'm not really sure yet. I see there is three six hour races that look pretty tempting. I don't think I have another 24 hour race in me. Although before I checked out last may I have acquired sponsorship from Vetta bike computers, so stayed tuned for some new gear write up.

So with my renewed outlook on training and health I feel like I still can be stronger and faster than ever. Look at Tinker pushing real old and still kicking ass.