Fueling the Fire

Some days, the fire that burns up training is fueled by happiness. Being in a good mood makes training a breeze, and you can crank out miles and log all kinds of hours with a smile on your face and a song in your heart....

Some days, this whole concept of "happiness" is stupid. The whole world is trying to piss you off, and its working. On days like this, I say let the anger and frustration fuel the fire. In my experience, it is just as effective (and in some cases much more so) as a positive attitude.

Some days, for whatever reason, I am sad. Now granted, with me, this is a pretty rare occasion. I am a pretty happy guy, but it does happen and when it does I don't feel like training. In Psych 1000 Dr. McKibbin taught us that anger is a much more productive emotion than despair, so what do I do when I am sad? You got it, I turn it into anger! If someone has hurt my feelings, I rip open a brick workout until my legs are searing just to spite them.

The point I am getting at here is turn whatever emotion you are feeling into something that you can train off of. If I am feeling lazy, I will often literally set a training goal for myself for the day that I think is somewhat unattainable, just so I can go do it to spite myself. Maybe I've got a chip on my shoulder, but this attitude of "use what you've got" works for me, so try it on for yourself and see if you like it!

Now, real fuel! Here are a few forms of calories/caffeine that I love to burn.

Americanos from Ink! coffee. Now I don't just say this because I work here, we have some of the best espresso I have ever tasted. Look at that crema... if you're americano doesn't look like that, you ordered the wrong drink (or are just at the wrong coffee shop).

Red Wine (full of antioxidants and a great way to indulge occasionally) and sushi (slow-burn carbs and protein, and absolutely delicious when well-made).  Gotta love going on a sibling date with your sister on a Friday! Wow... I'm so cool...

Homemade pizza? Yes please! I am definitely not a purist when it comes to pizza... Load that baby up with weird vegetables and anything but the ordinary sauce. BBQ sauce and Frank's Red Hot? Why not?

Well, I hope this gave y'all some insight into how I fuel my training, both physically and emotionally. Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

Vacation

So, obviously I haven't posted in a while... the past couple weeks have been pretty busy, and the blog was put on the back burner. My apologies! Here is the third post from Myrtle Beach. As you may have figured out, I like to do a separate post about my travels completely separate from the races.

I couldn't mention this trip without mentioning the sea. Its raw beauty fascinates me, its power humbles me, and its vastness is completely beyond my comprehension. Coming from the middle of the country, it is always brand new every time I see it.  I can't help but smile upon my arrival, and feel sad when I have to go as if it were an old friend.

 The view from our hotel room. I got to wake up every morning to the sunrise over the waves. Can you see why I didn't want to leave Myrtle Beach, even to go to Charleston?

 Feeling like a pro and getting ready to celebrate in style.

Relaxing poolside with Dad post-race. Again, the sound of the waves never far off!

Dinner at the 86 Queen in Charleston. Pecan crusted catfish, fried green tomatoes, and grits... it is the South after all y'all! This was absolutely delicious. The fish was everything I love about pecan pie mixed with everything I love about fish sticks. My first endeavor with fried green tomatoes did not disappoint, and the grits were the perfect, cheesy base layer I was hoping for.

I am glad I got to share these pictures with y'all and I hope you enjoy them. If you're ever in Charleston, check out, 86 Queen and Hyman's for some dang good seafood, and anytime you are near the sea, take a walk on the beach... its good for you. Until next time, follow the Pace Rabbit!

Myrtle Beach Triathlon

This post will be a little more about the race and how it went down. There are some weird times and results up there, so I will try to clear that up a bit...

Bikers, retired people, and families with fat kids all come together and somehow create this tourist-trap strip of beach with high-rise hotels and buffet-style restaurants featuring giant crabs crawling over their entry way. That being said, I love Myrtle Beach! Every time I have come it has been a blast, and I fully anticipate coming back next year (although this time I will be doing the ITU cup race!)

The amateur race was on Saturday, and it was run in conjunction with USAT Halfmax National Championships. "Halfmax" is a half-Ironman by another (slightly less popular, if more amateur-friendly) name. Per USAT regulations, an amateur, Olympic-distance race run alongside an ITU cup pro-race will be a pro-qualifying race under F-criteria. Basically, top 3 amateurs are qualified for a pro license.

With that in mind, I had chosen to do the International distance, hoping to acquire a pro license, even though I had done the Halfmax last year. I was expecting some stout competition, and was not disappointed.

Last year, the swim was cancelled due to high levels of bacteria in the water. This sucked for me (being a swimmer), but this year the swim was on! The water was pretty murky (I couldn't see my hands at the bottom of my stroke!) but it was warm and I felt good, so at the horn I took off. I broke away from the main group before the first turn, but by the straightaway someone had bridged the gap and was slapping my feet. Your Turn! I literally stopped and cleared my goggles, and then drafted off of them for the rest of the swim... it is nice to have enough confidence in my bike/run now that I can do this...

A picture of my transition... looks pretty straightforward, right? Not a lot of people close by or anything..

... and yet I made a rookie mistake. I didn't check my entry/exit points and got a bit lost... probably added a good 20 seconds. Oh well!

On the bike I felt like a champion. I had rested my legs off of the bike for close to a week, so they felt fresh as daisies! I've gotta give a shout-out to my bike, Sara. She may be pretty, but she is a cold, calculating death machine who eats headwinds for breakfast and $#!+'s them out in fireballs as we pass the competition. We basically made sweet love for 28 miles (one lap of the halfmax course, so a little longer than an olympic) and it was effortless.

T2 went a lot more smoothly. The run was 2 laps of a 5k, and on the first lap I was all alone... but then, close to the turnaround point, I saw the leader! (James Haycraft, who had a helluva bike and was definitely looking better than I felt at this point...)

Its always funny when you see each other at the turnaround point like that... you both obviously know the position the other is in, and so its a semi-friendly stare down to size the other guy up... Today was no different, I tried to smooth my stride and pull on a poker face, but he was a good distance ahead and looked like a Kalahari bushman running down a deer, so I wasn't so sure about catching him.

Coming across the finish line, I asked my mom if I had done it, but I already knew... My legs burned, my mind was exhausted, but I was absolutely buzzing. I thought of the funny ways I could text my friends about my success and laughed out loud. I thought about how far I had come, and about David and cried a little (I hope you're proud buddy, I knew you were out there running alongside me). Then I thought about my future. While this was a great start, it was just that... a start.

This was taken the next day at the professional, ITU cup race. This doesn't even come close to capturing the speed of their transitions, let alone their pace on the bike/run. If you ever get a chance, GO to a professional, draft-legal triathlon and watch. ITU has made great efforts to make this a spectator-friendly sport, and it is. Loud hip-hop music plays, an announcer provides commentary (even bios and human-interest stories of the athletes) and the racers have to make several laps of each discipline, giving the spectator the chance to watch the packs form on the bike and the finish-line-sprint develop on the run.

Watching these guys taught me more about the work I am going to have to do in order to race with them than any person or book could have ever demonstrated. I've got a long road ahead of me, but if I've come this far I know I can go farther. Although, I do feel like the badass 8th grade quarterback who went to watch the varsity boys play right before he starts his freshman year.

Next year, I will be racing here, with these guys, on Sunday, and getting my ass kicked instead of beating up on the amateurs. Keep givin' me love and I'll keep makin' you proud! Follow the PaceRabbit!

Vindication

Now, this is going to be the first of 3 posts about my race in Myrtle Beach this past weekend. I've got a lot to say about it all, so I decided to break it up.

First of all, I got 2nd overall, meaning I qualified for a professional/elite license under USAT's F certification (basically stating that at any race ran in conjunction with an ITU cup race, the top 3 finishers will qualify for an elite card).

An Elite card (or pro card, the terms are used interchangeably) basically means that I can get into pro races (with bigger prize purses and different rules), get into basically any race I want (often at no charge and regardless of whether or not it is sold out to the public), and it helps me to acquire sponsors. Think of it like trying to get a job as a chef without a culinary degree, versus after attending Le Cordon Bleu Institute.

With this comes a great deal of change to my life. Obviously, while this is a huge accomplishment, I see it as just the beginning of something bigger... but more on that later! The focus of this post is to thank YOU! Here is a list of some special people who have helped me more than others in becoming a professional triathlete. Please keep in mind, I am scatterbrained and very caffeinated right now, so sorry if I forget anyone...

Mom and Dad: I don't even know how to begin to thank you. Supporting my decision to turn down dental school, coming to watch me race, helping me out financially when I am carbing up with PB&J's, and listening to me whine about slow-healing stress fractures are just a few of the things you have done for me these past years. Your love and guidance has been more than I could have ever asked for. If I ever have children, I hope to be half the parent that both of you have been to me.

The Tye Family: For getting me a membership to USAT, and for cheering me on, following the Pace Rabbit, and pedaling around with me when I am home. I can't tell you how great of a gift this has been!

To my Friends and Family: You are the base of my fan club, the ones I go to when I need a problem solved, a rock of consistency in my life of questions. If you knew how much you all meant to me, I wouldn't feel so guilty, but that is impossible for me to express.

Libbie and Sev: For getting me started on this blog, twitter, helping me find sponsors, teaching me about branding and image... and also for understanding why I have to leave at 9 PM for a tempo run, why I forgot to do the dishes because I was too tired, why my alarm goes off so damn early, and why I can't cook because I have to go train. You are the best roommates/agents I could ask for!

All my coaches over the years: For turning the chubby 9th grader into a scrawny distance swimmer with a chip on his shoulder. Especially Wyn for showing me that there was a hate-filled competitor inside this mild-mannered country boy.

To USA Triathlon: Especially Barb Lindquist. Your help in turning a swimmer into a multisport athlete has been more than I ever expected or even knew I needed. Thanks!

Well, you know who you are: For dumping me... Yeah, I said it. Had you not, I would be in dental school getting fat and stressed. In the aftermath of what happened, you gave me a new outlook on life, a whole ocean of frustration to fuel my training, and a need for a positive distraction which became triathlon. I am glad we are friends now and can talk about this. I hope I never lose track of you, and a part of me hopes you keep track of me in my endeavors.

To a few special friends for supporting and following me from the beginning: Burke, Cassie, Hogan and Lauren, Nate and Simon, Gibbs, the UWTC, and the UW swim team. When I feel like rolling over in a race, I think about you guys, and I know that I would not be able to face you again if I didn't give it my all. I mean it when I say that, and I wanted you to know.

To YOU!: for reading this! I like to think there are a few of you at least, so thanks for your support. I will continue to do everything I can to make you proud and to have something to write about.

To a couple Haters: Still think I should've chosen dental school? Well, perhaps, but just like the giant red button that says "DO NOT TOUCH," in telling me I made a bad life choice, you are only fueling my fire. Look at me now!

To my competitors: You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep doing what I do. I'll see you out there, and may the best man win on those Sundays... You ever try to catch a rabbit?

Sent to one or two very close friends after the race, I thought I'd share it with y'all now! Gotta love those bro-shades...

FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT! I mean come on, he's a professional...

The Art of Repetition

A lot of athletes, myself included, are always looking for new workouts. New training routes, interval sessions, and gyms to keep things fresh. While it is occasionally a good idea to shock your body and make it adapt to different things, (and ultimately necessary to keep from going insane!) a consistent routine should not be overlooked.

First of all, a lot of this idea comes from accessibility. Living in Denver, I would love to be able to get out to the mountains and pedal around every day. It would be awesome to have a different right for every day of the week. This is just not realistic though, so what do I do? I bike on the trail! It is a lot easier to find time and motivation to just pedal from my front door than to pack up and drive for 30 minutes just for a workout.

Secondly, you learn a huge deal about yourself and your ability to push paces, attack hills, and handle your bike (and your body!) by doing the same routes/workouts and getting really familiar with them. If you know the route and are very comfortable with it, you are much more likely to feed your fast... God knows it's hungry...

Thirdly, by doing the same workouts you have a relatively standardized set of data to track your progress. If you averaged 18 MPH on this ride last week, you can try and average 18.5 this week. If you held 1:00 hundreds last week on this set, go for :59.5 this week. This goes back to my college coach, TJ, always telling us to just get 1% better each day.

This one is a HUGE plus for me since I am pretty much completely self-coached, it allows me to make sure I am on track for my goals in all three disciplines of triathlon simply by jotting down a few metrics and some notes after each workout.

Granted, as I said, you've gotta switch it up every now and again, or you will either a) go crazy from the repetition, b) get bored with your workouts and thus lose motivation, or c) just get flat and stop pushing yourself to your fullest. But, don't forget about the art of repetition!

Aristotle said "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an art, but a habit." Key word here being "repeatedly," people! Thanks for listening to my silly rant again. Next time, I will include a sweet video clip of me juggling chainsaws while pedaling up Loveland Pass......

....On second thought, maybe just a couple pictures... FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!