For Your Viewing Pleasure

So, there is this really cool website called YouTube. It has all these really cool videos on it... If you haven't already, you should check it out! 

All sarcasm aside (yes, that was sarcasm above) here are a few of my favorite YouTube videos, in no particular order. Believe it or not, most of them are not triathlon-related... yes, I do other things with my time, which I wanted to share with you... plus this is a sweet excuse for me to not actually have to write that much...

1) This is from the USC Ski and Snowboard team. They actually have a pretty sweet YouTube channel, and this is one of my favorites of theirs. As far as I can tell, it is filmed entirely from a GoPro camera, and the soundtrack is baller:

2) Epic Mealtime. If you're not familiar with these guys, get familiar. This is exactly my sense of humor, and plays into my love of cooking... although I'm not sure I could actually eat any of this shit...

3) The Haka. This is a Maori war chant, which we did in college on the swim team (we had a Kiwi on the team who loved his rugby and showed us how to do it) When I think back on college swimming, this is one of the things I miss most. Even if we weren't intimidating, we felt like we were... and I am pretty sure we actually were. Pure testosterone and adrenaline... and not in the teenage bedroom sense...

4) The first time I saw this, I was on the trainer... I got so into it I nearly fell off the bike. This is incredible, they are literally flying. I cannot think of another word to describe it other than magical. 

5) This is a great commercial from Dick's Sporting Goods. I like to watch it to get motivated for a workout sometimes. Dick's has a ton of great ads!

6) For my non-triathlete followers out there, this is a taste of some draft-legal racing. This is the highlight video from the 2012 Olympic Qualifier in San Diego. I could watch these all day, but then again its kinda what I do...

Well I hope you've enjoyed these videos and procrastinated from work/studying a bit longer today. Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT! 

Catching Up

So, I realize I haven't blogged for the past 3 days. I also realize I said I'd blog every day for a month... sorry about that. One day I could make up, but not three. Kinda like bike workouts; I could maybe squeeze in a makeup 40k, but not a 135k tempo ride. So, I'll log that I missed my workout (blog posts) and hope my coach (you) doesn't get too mad!

In my defense I did not have internet on Friday, and I was traveling Saturday and Sunday. Yes, I left the warmth of Key West and traded it for the comfort of home... and 17 degree weather!

Leaving Key West is a bit of a process... I can only imagine what it would be like if there was a hurricane! The road (yes, there is only 1) that leaves the islands is old, and one lane in most places. The speed limit is like 45 MPH, so yeah its a solid 3.5 hour drive to get the 100 some odd miles. At least it was entertaining to talk shop with Zane and sing Beach Boys with Terra!

I camped out in the Ft. Lauderdale airport on Saturday night. Now, in a pinch (and on a budget!) this works pretty well, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. Its cold (even in Florida) the loudspeaker gets annoying, and there's that whole thing about having a bunch of strangers around...

Sunday I landed in Denver. Flight still amazes me sometimes, it is crazy to get on a plane, and 4 hours later get off in a different world. Ft. Lauderdale was 80s and humid, Denver was 10 (as in 10 degrees) and snowy. Then, I got in my car and drove the 5 hours back to Kearney for a taste of normalcy again!

I was surprised how much I missed my home, my dog and my friends and family. I mean, I lived away from home for 6 years! I think what I missed most was just being rooted down; I'd been living out of my suitcase for 3 weeks straight.

My goal now is to continue the solid training I'd put up in Florida... although now instead of worrying about having enough water and not overheating I have to worry about staying warm and not slipping on ice. As of today I've kept it up, and I see no reason why I can't throw down again tomorrow. Until then, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

The Long Ride

There are few things more satisfying and more trying than a long bike ride. Now for me, long classifies anything more than 3 hours. You might get hot, you might get cold, you might bonk, and its either tons of fun or 3 hours of torture.

Now before you get started there are a few things you should know. These will make your ride more enjoyable and easier.

1) First of all, bring a spare kit and know how to change your tire. YOU WILL FLAT OUT! If you have my luck, you will flat out a lot. Knowing how to change a flat is kind of a part of cycling. Unless you're a hot blonde, hitch hiking will be rather unsuccessful. And, if you are a hot blonde, hitch hiking could be rather dangerous... "'Dude, they make scary movies that start out like that!' 'Yeah, but they also make porno movies that start out like that too!'" -Detroit Rock City

2) Bring some food and lots of water. You're going to get hungry and thirsty, and fortunately it is very easy to eat while cycling. So, fill up a water bottle and grab a couple PowerBars before you head out the door. In my experience, any food you bring, you will eat, and it will taste better than anything you've ever had.

3) Bring and ID and some cash. The ID so they'll know who's mama to call in the event of an accident (an ugly idea, but consider the alternative). I don't feel the need to say wear a helmet... that should go without saying. Oh, and the cash! It is a rule of the road that you must stop at one or more dumpy gas stations per long ride and get some crappy food. Little Debbies, donuts, and real Coke are all highly encouraged.

4) If you bring a friend, be prepared for some good conversation. There's no better way to get to know someone. But if you go solo, be prepared to get all your thoughts sorted out. In a long ride, I will go through the whole spectrum of life's emotions, and I always come away with a clear head.

Sometimes the weather is nice and my ride sucks. Sometimes it rains for 69 of the 70 miles and its the best ride of my life. You can just never tell how its going to go when you step out the door. Today's ride for me was 95k (just a shade under 3 hours, but we will count it) and it included apocalyptic head winds (there is nothing more demoralizing than a headwind) a bad quad cramp, and 2 flats. But, it was all good because there was a cute barista at the coffee shop where I got some apple cake and espresso!

So get out there and ride, and be sure to FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

The Art of Napping

Its my favorite time of the day; nap time! In fact, I already want to take a nap tomorrow. A nap for me is like hitting the "refresh" button on your day. It gives you a chance to start over if you need to, or just allows you to recharge the batteries to take on the rest of the day.

The power nap: 
This one was perfected by my dad, and fortunately I inherited this ability from him. Some days, in the early afternoon, I will lay down on my back and just shut my eyes. After 5-10 minutes, I wake up, feeling refreshed! Some people say they can't do it, but the trick for me is being slightly less-than comfortable... like lying on your back on the floor!

The cat nap:
As its name implies, this is the act of shutting down in the middle of the day for an hour or more. Had a tough workout this morning and got another one tonight? Cat nap! Up too late *ahem* reading and now feeling sleep deprived? Cat nap! My only problem with these is the inevitable grogginess... its not a good cat nap unless you wake up and immediately want to either eat a bowl of cereal or go back to sleep.

La Siesta:
Pioneered by our friends in Spain, this is the act of zonking out for a half hour or so after a hearty lunch. Sometimes I am so hangry (see yesterday's post) after a morning workout I have to eat a ton at lunch time, which inevitably results in a food baby. The only way to abort that (offensive? yeah, sorry...) is a food coma, also known as a siesta!

Today for me included a solid cat nap. Good thing I allowed enough time to hit the snooze button 14 times and then get coffee before my run! Until tomorrow, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

When to Say When

One of the hardest parts about training for me is knowing when to say when. I know I sound like a bad triathlete cliché (I mean seriously, no one is going to admit that they totally love having a day without a workout... especially not you non-draft, type-A weirdos) but I am not good about knowing when to take a recovery day for myself. Sure, I enjoy my scheduled recovery days, I think of them as a gift of time. I go snowboarding, play guitar, and do other things that make me Sam Holmes.

However, when I have a day of training scheduled and I am totally beat, I have a hard time seeing the big picture and letting it go. I struggle through the workouts and dig a deeper hole rather than burning a workout or two and getting back to myself. This is a bad idea on a lot of levels... generally speaking, it can make you sick, get you hurt, or at the very least give you a week of bad to mediocre workouts rather than one day without.

I can always tell when I am getting depleted. I am hungry and tired all the time (and not in a good way), I can't get to sleep at night, my resting HR is high, and I have no sex drive... sorry mom, your son is a grown man!

Today I could feel it coming on, I was hangry (hungry+angry) and sluggish during the morning swim, and I hadn't gone to sleep right away last night which is very weird for me. Also, its Key West, there are bikini-clad women everywhere (sorry, RVB), and I was barely lifting my eyes! Zane saw all this happening, and since he has the force (actually I think he is Shifu, from Kung Fu Panda) he saw my day not going well and gave me the afternoon off.

It was actually super nice. I got some studying done, ate an awesome breakfast (lobster omelette and a pancake?? Get outta here! Check out Blue Heaven if you're ever here in KW) and did some shopping... yes, I am a straight dude who enjoys a good shopping session. You know those people who say they never find clothes that fit? I'm not one of them...

Every once in a while, I recommend you take a step back and ask yourself "would a break from (insert your profession here) this afternoon benefit me more in the long run than grinding it out?" For me, today, it did. Until tomorrow, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!

Open Water

With my background in swimming, it might come as a surprise to some people that I am slightly terrified of open water swimming... I mean, not like to the point where I won't do it (obviously.. I would need to find a new line of work!) or even like I get panicky, but there is something about the deep, dark depths that freaks me out. Maybe I watched Jaws too much as a kid...

Or maybe its the fact that I've lived my whole life in landlocked states. In college I dated a girl from California, who was terrified of tornadoes, which to me is just dumb. (She frequently made fun of my fear of the ocean). I guess it all just depends on what you grew up with?

Sure, we would go to the lake in the summertime in Nebraska, but I don't have the open-water experiences that you folks on the coasts do. Besides, you've got weird animals and plants and things that bite, sting, or poison you in the ocean that simply aren't in lakes.

To make matters worse, all these nasty little critters have evolved over billions of years to be in this environment, while I, as a human, am born to swim slightly better than a locomotive was built to fly. Add to the equation some murky water and slippery seaweed, and my paranoia is complete.

Now, when the water is clear (like Cancun, or Kelowna) I have no problem swimming in the open water. Also, when racing, or even just swimming with a group of people it doesn't bother me. So really I am not afraid of open water swimming, I am afraid of my imagination... wow, this just got deep!

Zane and I were doing some open water practice this afternoon, and I was doing fine until 3 man o' war jellyfish washed up as we were talking... see?? This is what I'm talking about!! Anyway, I'll get over it, or I'll seek help from a therapist, or cry to my mom, or both, (my mom is a therapist). Until tomorrow night, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

Sunday Funday!

Today was a pretty solid day in the life of Sam Holmes. In college, Sundays kinda sucked. You've got a wicked combination of a hangover mixed with the impending doom of the oncoming week, but now as a professional triathlete I have grown to like Sundays. I usually have either a long run or a long ride, which are my two favorite workouts all week, and Monday is often a day off, so its sort of like my Friday!

This morning I got up for a 100k ride with Terra. It was a perfectly gorgeous morning (although I feel like that's about standard here in Key West) and it was a great big gear ride. I like big gear work (which is when you over-gear, so you have to pedal really hard at a low cadence, it helps develop strength) and I made all the target heart rate ranges. We even stopped at a local coffee shop on the way back to get some ride fuel!

There is nothing like having ridden 62 miles before 11 am... were you even awake yet??

After the ride I went to lunch at a little diner called Sandy's. I guess its sort of a local thing, so there was the standard grumpy guy complaining loudly about the tourists in line ahead of him. (Sorry for coming to your town and spending money, bro). But the staff was awesome and so was the food. I got a breakfast platter ('cuz it always sounds good!) with eggs, sausage, grits, refried beans and Cafe Cubano.

If you ever get the chance, try Cafe Cubano. It is a double espresso brewed with cane sugar, so it gets this nice crema on the top and has a super sweet flavor... frickin delicious... and a nice buzz! Caffeine + Sugar = Sam loves everyone.

This is gonna sound weird, but the best part of the dish was the refried beans... I don't know how they did it, but they had this meaty, spicy flavor that was different from how I'd ever had them. I literally licked the bottom of the bowl until the older couple next to me started judging...

After lunch, I strolled around old town Key West. Ok, now I see why people come here! Forget everything bad I've said about this place, Key West is legit. Old town is full of little shops, restaurants, houses, and churches, and reminds me of a cross between Savanna, Georgia and Estes Park, Colorado. I love it! Everyone was out in their Sunday best and it seemed like everyone was very polite and friendly... or maybe that was just the Cafe Cubano...

After a nap and some studying I had a track workout with Zane. We made some good corrections, and got some good times. After the suggestion from him, I inundated Zane with questions today. I have made it a goal to come up with at least one question from every workout.

Well tonight was kinda lame, but so am I... after a dinner of rice and beans I may or may not have watched a chick flick by myself and read Game of Thrones (if you haven't started reading it yet, you probably should) before writing this post! Until tomorrow, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

Ragnar Relay

On my ride today I shared the Overseas Highway with the Miami-Key West Ragnar Relay runners. Now, I am not completely familiar with the Ragnar Relays, but evidently its a team thing where your team runs a ridiculously long distance, but its done in shifts...

... or maybe its "jogging," with a soft "J" sound. Evidently you just run for an extended period of time, I guess its pretty wild!

All Anchorman references aside, this looked like a good time! I found myself cheering for these crazy bastards as I was mashing though a big-gear workout in the warm, tropical rain. There were team busses, funny costumes, lots of fans cheering, and at least one hottie in a pink bikini.... I tried not to look, but it was a futile effort.

In any case, I see a Ragnar Relay in my future, probably after I'm done with this whole triathlon thing... who's with me in, say, 10 years??? Until then (or until tomorrow) FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!

El Siboney

For today's post I will do a restaurant review. For lunch today Zane and I went to El Siboney, a Cuban restaurant here in Key West. We talked about family, gut instincts, God, the human heart, and of course, training.

First of all, the street it is located on could've come straight out of Cuba or Costa Rica or any Caribbean island.... well, technically, Key West is a Caribbean island... but I mean it was full of small, quaint, brightly colored houses, palm trees, and a crappy road. The restaurant is not well marked, which kinda adds to the appeal a lot of times (have you ever been to that burger shop in LoHi in Denver?? I don't even think it has a name, but damn those are great burgers!)

The dining room was a bit cramped, but I heard more Spanish than English, both from the kitchen and the dining room. Always a good sign at a Cuban Restaurant! I was tempted by the paella, and the ropa vieja (always good Cuban selections) but I went with my go-to, a Cuban panini, and some black beans.

The pulled pork was delicious, and the shaved ham and turkey added to my meat-sweats... in a good way. I loved the aioli most, it was SUPER garlicky (I sweat pure garlic on my run this evening) and there was just the right amount of it. The bread was the best part though, it was yeasty, buttery, and dense and it was very crispy. Somehow they kept the lettuce and tomato fresh and cold when they cooked the panini, maybe they added it after? The black beans were well seasoned, and although they gave me some GI issues on the run later (sorry for the mental image) they were very good... I mean, beans are kinda hard to mess up, right?

All in all, I would recommend this restaurant. My only suggestion would be go for dinner. Even though it felt like a lunch place, the prices and entrees suggested dinner time to me... but maybe thats just the broke triathlete in me (see earlier post). Either way, check out El Siboney next time your in Key West, and FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

Key West Day 1

It seems like triathlon brings me to the state of Florida quite often, and I am completely ok with that. I love the climate, the people, and the food here. Right now I am doing a training camp with my coach in Key West, the bottom of the map!

I got in late last night, and am staying at a guy's house that I found on airbnb.com. If you travel a lot and are looking to save money (see earlier post!) check out this website. Basically, if people have empty rooms or apartments, they rent them out for short periods at a time similar to a Bed and Breakfast. Its a pretty sweet idea if you ask me, although there is a lot of potential for... err... bad experiences I suppose. My host however is super chill and has pretty much completely left me to my devices.

This morning I swam outdoors (speedo tan line, here I come baby!) with Marymount University's swim team. I love swimming outdoors, and I always enjoy swimming with a team. All swimmers are pretty much the same type of people, although there was a bit of culture shock for me coming from a D1 program... (you mean I can go 1:30 base intervals for yards??)

After the swim I rode 55 on the one highway leading out of the Keys... That concept makes me a little claustrophobic. I am so used to the plains with roads leading in literally all directions, but hey there is something to be said for clear blue waters all around you... and some damn good Cuban food since were only like 100 miles from Havana.

On that note, there is something about this place that reminds me of the Latin American countries I have visited... everything is just a bit run down, there are feral chickens roaming the roads, and a lot of European tourists. I do, however, have cell service and a decent cheeseburger all within reach.

I cramped up a bit on the ride, so I had to cut my run short tonight, but I am really looking forward to getting back at it tomorrow. I feel like I really needed a camp like this where I can focus and get some solid work done to kick start the new year and the new season. It always helps to break out of a rut by traveling! Until tomorrow, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

The Life

Yes, I did miss a post yesterday. It was a long day of travel, and by the time I got into bed and realized I had forgotten to blog, I was too tired to be bothered with it. Instead, I will give you a double dose today!

This post is about something I wish I had known going into triathlon. I honestly know it would not have changed my decision to pursue the sport, but maybe I would have done things a little bit differently. In a nutshell, triathletes are not rockstars.

Maybe to some it seems obvious, and I knew it deep down, but I didn't want to believe it. In order to make it in this sport, you have to be both very good and very frugal. Yes, sometimes you have to give up your orange mocha frappuccinos on a training trip in order to buy your plane ticket home. Yes, you have sometimes have to buy off brand rice and beans for a month in order to save money so you can go to that race in Mexico where you may or may not get into the prize money. It means budgeting, giving up some comforts while traveling, and asking for support anywhere you can get it.

Honestly, I have grown to love it. I used to try and act like being a professional meant I got to be a baller like Lebron and Kobe, but now I embrace being broke and no longer try and act like I have made it big around my exes (although when I do I will totally be sure they know about it). I now proudly tell the crotchety old men I wait on at the restaurant that yes, I have graduated, but no, I don't want a real job because I am a triathlete. The look on their faces is worth the shitty tip!

I am finally learning how to travel cheaply, and hopefully this will mean I can actually turn a profit off of being a professional this year... along with a little help from some prize money if I keep working hard!

So next time you see a pro triathlete like myself trying to act like D-Wayde, just put a hand on his (or maybe her... but since girls are more sensible, probably his) shoulder, tell him its ok, and give him a free bowl of soup... he's probably hungry. Until later this evening, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

Resolutions

I know, I know, kinda cliché right? A post about new beginnings on New Year's Day. Well it may not be a very creative post, but at least its something worth talking about.

I believe that change is a constant that should be embraced. Making adaptations is what keeps us sharp in whatever we do. This should be done all year round, not just on New Year's Day. I also believe that if you need to make a big change in your life, there is no need to wait for December 31st each year. However, since we're here and some of us are in need of some shaping up, lets make it happen!

Making habits, whether it be working out or being a better friend, is not something that you can ease into, you have to go all in, all the way, right away. And then, you have to stick to it for a while. Then that behavior becomes a habit. Studies show those people who stick to their resolutions throughout the whole month of January are much more likely to stick to them through the whole year. In other words, if you can do it for 4 weeks, you're all set to do it all year.

Another suggestion I might make about your resolutions is to be process-oriented rather than outcome-oriented. In other words, instead of saying "I want to lose 10 lbs" I am going to say "I want to watch what I eat very closely" (since "working out" is sort of a constant for me, I can't really add that as a goal here, but you can!) This way, I only focus on what I can control, and let the process take care of the outcome. I might only lose 8, or I might cut 12 and be really scrawny, but if I accomplish my process goals to a T, I can't be upset can I?

My resolution is a bit hard to put into words, but generally speaking I want to be a better professional in the new year. This means getting up on New Year's Day and training hungover (see yesterday's post..) This also means remembering the details like stretching and drills. Completely aside from training, this also includes the harder part of triathlon, like finding sponsors, booking travel, and managing my time. I chose to pursue this dream of mine instead of going to dental school, so I need to start acting like it.

I am feeling very refreshed and ready for the 2013 after these holidays, and I hope you are too. I wish you a wonderful New Year and the best of luck with your resolutions! Until tomorrow, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!