Abu Dhabi Preview

One week from tomorrow and the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon will be underway. It goes without saying that I am very excited to open my season there. It will be warm, I love Middle Eastern cuisine, and I get to race around a Formula 1 track. On my bike! The likelihood that I'll make race car noises zipping around the track is very high, if not an absolute certainty.

Regarding the depth of the field, I could not care less about who else will be on the start line. I'll be there and that's all that matters to me.

I fly out first thing Sunday morning and being that I'm in the early stages of packing (i.e. thinking about what I'm going to pack), I figured I ought to share photographs of my critical equipment.

Starting with the swim. It's very unlikely that it will be a wetsuit-legal swim, but that matters not as I will be wearing Blue Seventy's Elite Tri Suit. While not specifically designed for long-course events, it does have a chamois and offers a compression fit, which will surely be appreciated late in the race.

Sorry, The Lighting Was Really Poor For This Shot

Onto the bike. I'll be riding my beloved Cannondale Slice Hi-Mod with a Rolf Prima Disc and TdF58 SL front wheel. The major difference from last year's set-up is the saddle. I obviously did a bit of a bike focus in preparation for Abu Dhabi and came to utterly despise the standard saddle that came with the bike. Fortunately, I discovered Dash Cycles and their Tri.7 saddle. In short, I'm a very happy rider now and more excited than any individual should be going into what will be a pedal smashing 200 kilometer bike leg.

If It Weren't For The Bush Holding It Back, This Thing Would Be A Blur; It's Fast!

The Dash Cycles Tri.7; It's Like Sitting On A Cloud. Probably Lighter Than One Too

Since it will likely be rather warm, and the pace quick, on the bike, the Lazer Tardiz is my aero helmet of choice. The water channels within the helmet are a nice touch. Same with the magnetic chin clasp.

My Kitchen Table... And A Helmet!

Although I haven't made mention of it, I really haven't spent much time running at all. In fact, I have accumulated more miles in the pool than I have running since the first of the year - that was not premeditated. Thankfully, I have teamed up with RockTape and am exceedingly pleased with their tape. I'll be wearing their Waterproof Endurance Tape at Abu Dhabi and at any other race where I feel it will be beneficial. So, I'll be wearing the tape at every race.

Move Over Duct-Tape, RockTape Is The New All-Purpose Tape

No matter how I look at it, the two Challenge events I did to conclude last season taught me a lot, especially in regards to nutrition. I endured needless suffering as my nutrition plan let me down - both times - but how was I to know otherwise? Armed with the knowledge of what my gut desires and when, I feel much better prepared for such a long race. Knowing I will reach a point where anything too sweet will become hard to stomach, I will carry GU's Peanut Butter gel and Larabar's Peanut Butter Cookie and Cashew Cookie bars, in addition to their other offerings.

Peanut Butter And Roctane Blueberry Pomegranate Gel Sandwich Anyone?

I will also wear shoes for the race, but I'm getting hungry and this kitchen table photo-shoot has given me one heck of an appetite. Overall, I feel good going into Abu Dhabi and my plan is simple, go hard, surprise people - literally and figuratively - and then devour the local cuisine post-race. Sandboarding looks fun. Camels are also fun. So many decisions.

That's My Complete And Utter Happiness Face

Cycling Thoughts

Every now and again, someone inquires about what my usual training regime looks like. The details aren't that interesting - swim, bike, run, repeat - but I do get another question that I am always eager to answer: What do you think about?

Where do I begin?

I should note that there's a time and a place for numbers. In the past, for the duration of a ride, my eyes were practically glued to my power meter's computer. Back then, my thoughts were not all that interesting and I learned little; What's my heart rate? Is my cadence at the prescribed level? How many watts am I pushing? Averaging? Blah!

I've been without a power meter for two years now and couldn't be happier. While the numbers are nice during intervals, there's a greater appeal to seeing how hard I can smash the pedals for a given amount of time. So, when I decide on doing, say, 4 x 6-minutes at 90%, I figure that that should hurt a bit. If it did, I did well.

Anyways, all that is beside the point, because those do not make up my usual thoughts and lessons learned in the saddle. Rather, they usually go a little something like this:

- Skeptical Calves -

I've learned that calves (baby cows) are very skeptical and that they do not trust people in skin-tight clothing. Every time I pass a pasture, the most epic of staring contests commence. They will not look away for even one second. Only once out of sight (and likely out of mind) do they return to their grazing. For this reason, they often win the staring contests. That, and I have to keep an eye out for the occasional pothole. Adult cows on the other hand, could not care less about me passing by. For this reason, they are wise. Or maybe they realize they are too old to be veal.

Always The Watchful Eye

- What to Make - 

There is no better conclusion to a good training session, particularly a long ride, than what I'll eat immediately afterwards. Sometimes the possibilities seems endless and my appetite usually appears so, so I end up with a buffet. I think I have a good memory when it comes to important things, meaning I always know what I have in my pantry and fridge (exact quantities too). Therefor, I run through several different permutations for dishes I can create until, "VOILA! That sounds delectable!" pops into my mind. Any remaining gels in my pockets go unused once I determine the dish to be devoured. Sometimes I plan ahead for big rides and have something already prepared. For instance, I recently made a dairy-free pumpkin pie with homemade whole wheat crust. I think I ate at least two-thirds of it right after. It was good, very good.

I Made Pigs With The Extra Dough

- Movie Title Game -

The 'Movie Title Game' is perhaps my favorite game to play while on rides. I've tried during swim sessions, but oddly enough, swimming and laughter do not mesh well. Go figure. The game is exceptionally simple. All you do is pick some event and think of a fitting movie title to match. For example, think of your last #2 (these "events" work particularly well with the game) and pick a title. Like, Paranormal Activity or Armageddon. If you were wondering, I am cracking up while writing this.

Haven't Seen This Film, But The Title Works

- Road Kill CSI -

Although I've never watched any crime TV shows, with the exception of Dexter, I thoroughly enjoy deducing how animals were killed that I spot along the roads. You may be thinking, "that's easy, a car hit it," and if you are in fact thinking that, you're boring and not creative. As I pass by, I think to myself, which side of the road was this animal trying to get to? Did it hesitate along the way? Were other animals present? Did the driver make any attempt to swerve? Was a car even involved? Was the death instantaneous? About how long ago did this death occur? and "Wow, that really smells!" It's safe to say that I spend quite a bit of time on rural roads.

No picture is necessary for this topic.

Of course, this is just a brief look into what goes through my mind on 5-6 hour rides. Ah, who am I kidding, these go through my mind on much shorter rides as well. When it comes to races, I am all business, but that doesn't mean I don't have fun with what I do, because if this wasn't fun, I surely wouldn't be doing it.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Season's Objective

With each new season comes new goals and objectives. That's the joy of a new year right? Everything starts anew... or something like that. Anyways, this year will be no different, however, instead of saying I'm aiming to swim, bike, or run so fast over a given distance, I'm just going to do what I feel I need to do in training and then see how sore I can make myself in races. If that's not a great season's objective, I don't know what is.

To be brutally honest, last year was befuddling at best. I started the year well with a win at Lavaman and had good fitness at Wildflower, but a silly rule cost me a podium spot. From there, things fell apart in my eyes. Why the inconsistency? I'm not sure. In any event, I've decided to take a different path this year and thus far, I am exceedingly pleased with my progress.

I should also mention that I am still stateside, but not for long. As of now, I am confirmed to race one event on US soil. That being the Oceanside 70.3. The rest are scattered about; Abu Dhabi, St. Croix, Austria, England, Switzerland, and perhaps Denmark, France, and/or Canada.

If it wasn't already apparent, I have an affinity for traveling.

I Climbed That Dune In the Sahara With Authority! And Burned My Feet.

In 2012, I have set my sights on two races in particular; the 5i50 and 70.3 Championship races - my only unconfirmed races on US soil. Honestly, what better way to pursue points than to combine two things I absolutely love doing? Seriously, if I weren't me, I'd be a little jealous. Fortunately for me, I am me.

So, that means no ITU events for me this year. I really enjoy draft-legal racing, but with it being an Olympic year, I'm not going to bother. That, and my swim needs work. It is getting much better though. Instead, I'll focus on what I think is probably my best distance; 70.3s. With how fast those events are completed nowadays, the training doesn't differ much from that of Olympic-distance events, so I believe I'll be able to race well in both.

Although I'd rather not discuss the possibility of not qualifying for either Championship race, I will exhibit an ounce of sensibility in having a back-up plan. I could sign up for another Iron-distance event on a whim or I could flee to Australia and work on a cattle farm for a few months. You only think I'm kidding.

Moo

Rest Week In Palawan

Reflecting upon my most recent holiday, err,  "rest week," traveling half-way around the world to "rest" was a good decision. Nevermind the 20-some hours I spent in a plane getting there or the day lost en route, because I came back feeling great! That is, until my body realized there was a 16-hour time difference. Then I slept. A lot. Which of course means, I rested more.

These Swine Know How To Relax

So, what did I do on this "rest week?" I swam several times, most notably in a secluded lagoon surrounded by towering limestone cliffs that were covered with lush vegetation. While I prefer to swim freestyle, I couldn't think of a better time to focus on backstroke. Stunning, awesome, and beautiful are all appropriate ways to describe my backstroke... I mean the lagoon.

Since I didn't feel like renting a bike and/or getting malaria riding through a jungle, I ran. I ran an out-and-back 8k several times and even did some hill repeats along the way when my friend joined me. Since I would get ahead, I'd run back to the base of the hill and then try to catch them. Then I'd do the same thing on the next hill. All in all, it was good, sweaty fun.

The area where I ran reminded me of the St. Croix run course. Hot, humid, and at times, hilly. Good preparation as I'm planning to get on that start line once again.

Other than that, I ate lots of fresh fruit and baked goods. I island hopped not once, but twice! I kayaked, danced, and husked a coconut that fell to the beach with nothing more than a rock. Keeping in mind that it was a rest week, I also got two massages. There was also plenty of downtime, but that's boring.

So, I'll conclude with some photos:

There Should Have Been A Sign Reading, "Take A Nap Here"

This Was A Rather Nice Island

One Of The Many Desolate Islands

Nicest Pig I Ever Met

The Fruits (or Juice) Of My Labor

This Too Was A Nice Beach

I'm Easily Fascinated By Rock Formations

Ahoy, Captain!

Sunsets Are A Favorite Of Mine

More Palm Trees To Come!

Philippines

Since being back, I've trained a lot. Maybe that's due to not having a proper job, however, I think it's because I'm so excited for the 2012 season. While I'm not yet ready to post my race schedule, I will say that it may be something of a world tour. Regardless, I'm highly motivated to do the work and let me tell you, I've been doing it. For instance, I ate 10 pieces of fudge yesterday, so I rode 4-hours. That was after swimming the daily 5k. For whatever reason, 5 to 6-hours a day seems to be my number. The weather has also been rather pleasant, but the weather here is crap compared to...

The Philippines!

El Nido, Where I'll Be Celebrating Christmas Day

Yes, I have decided to go to the Philippines and I leave tomorrow. Why go? To answer your question with a question, why not? I'm not really considering it a holiday though; it's more of a well-deserved rest week. I'll run a bit, swim more, and lounge on the beach even more. Actually, to be perfectly honest, I'm disgusted with the current state of my speedo tan. Instead of a clean, defined line, it's more of a gradual change in color, like what you'd find on a paint swatch.

Far too much information...

Anyways, I leave tomorrow and will never know what December 23, 2011 held in store for me. Thank you, International Date Line - you've robbed several days of my life from me.

Necessary Bastard

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Nepal

I've been back stateside for a little over a week now and am back into the swing of things in regards to training. However, training greatly pales in comparison to my most recent activities. That is, my 4-week holiday in Nepal. Actually, training pales in comparison to most things. For instance, I find devouring breakfast to be much more entertaining than staring at a black line for 90-minutes.

Anyways, let's get to the topic of the trek.

So, how was Nepal? In short, it was incredible! In all honesty, I don't know where to begin my recap... maybe trying to explain the organized chaos of Kathmandu, perhaps flying into the Lukla airport, which ranks as one of the most dangerous in the world, or about my fascination with the highest peaks in the world. Hmm...

I did write in a journal and detail each day's events, but trying to decipher my handwriting is quite time consuming. In my defense, my hands, along with everything else, were cold and that directly influenced the quality of my legibility.

In all seriousness, the Everest region is the most beautiful place I have ever been. Despite being composed of rock and ice and colored several shades of gray, I'd rather stare at the likes of Cho Oyu (8,201m) than the most pristine beach you could imagine. In my opinion, beaches are marketing. The idyllic shots are taken on the best of days by someone experienced in wielding a camera. Whereas, you can gaze in any direction and be completely captivated by the grandeur of the mountains (as seen below).

It's Even More Breathtaking In Person

Even though the region is beautiful and serene, it's an extremely harsh environment. At the lower elevations, the temperature would drop to -5º C inside the tea houses at night. I don't know how much colder it got higher up, but it's safe to assume it was below -20º C the night I camped - tent and all - at the Island Peak Base Camp. To give you an example of how cold that day was, I filled a bottle with boiling water before setting out on the climb. Within 2-hours, that bottle was frozen solid. That is not an exaggeration.

Climbing Island Peak easily goes down as one of my top memories from the trek, but I was not in good shape heading into it. I caught a virus 5-days before our intended summit attempt. At first, my guide thought it was altitude sickness, being that we were at 5,196m. Therefore, we rushed down the mountain, even though my energy was nil as I couldn't keep a thing down. Other symptoms suggested a virus, so we slowly made our up, but the going was absolutely exhausting since I essentially wasn't eating. After three days of hell - seriously, prison would have been a more comfortable place for those 72-hours - I awoke feeling marginally better and fibbed to my guide about how I really felt. After all, I was so close to Island Peak and didn't want to leave Nepal without climbing a proper mountain. I understand how foolish that sounds now, but as a long-suffering individual/endurance athlete, I felt confident that I could get through it. Obviously I did and here's my proof:

Critical Equipment & The Summit

Cramponing Between Crevasses - They Were Deep!

The 700m Section With A 70% Grade

En Route To The Summit

Atop The Summit (6,250m)

Although I arrived in Nepal solo, I met several wonderful individuals along the way and eventually formed a group with 3 others, as our agendas were quite similar; except for climbing Island Peak. The last time they saw me on the trek was when I was sick. Fortunately, I was able to connect with all of them in Kathmandu and put their worries to rest. Here are few photos of our group:

Stuart & Me Above Namche Bazar

Atop Gokyo Ri (5,360m) With Iben, Elena, Stuart, & Our Guides/Porters

Snow Angel Fail At Chola Pass With Iben

While I'm at it, I want to mention hygiene. Or the lack thereof. Past a certain elevation, there's no running water. Many tea houses promise "hot showers," but those that took one said they were anything but. The showers were also located on the outside of the tea houses, so they seemed to be more of a hassle than anything. I bathed in a glacial lake and yes, it was just about as bad as it sounds. Don't believe me? Well, here's the proof:

The Water Was, Literally, Freezing Cold

As for food, the owner's of the tea houses took care of that. They also tended to the fire in the communal dining rooms. What did they burn for fuel? Yak poo, of course. So, yes, someone would place yak poo in a fire and then prepare your meal.

Eat That Grass, Yak, So...

You Can Produce This...

To Keep Us Warm Here...

And Have The Same Hands Prepare This! No Wonder Everything Is Fried.

All in all, my 4-weeks in Nepal ranks up there with my top holidays. It's kind of funny now, because I miss the mountains even though the area is so harsh. I'll never forget the second most starry night I witnessed when beginning the climb up to Island Peak; the complete and utter silence of the remote region; how villages would remain in shadows of mountains even though the sun had been up and rising for hours; the deafening roar of the glacial fed rivers in the Alpine region; and the immense loads the Sherpas carried up the mountains to villages. I'll end with a few more photos:

Prayer Flags Blowing In The Wind

Sun Hiding Behind A Mountain

The Trails Are Highways & The Sherpas Are The Semi Trucks

Above The Clouds

Expansion Bridge In The Alpine Region

Chola Pass Is Between The Two High Peaks (Center)

Standing Right In Front Of Mt. Everest Atop Gokyo Ri (5,360m)

At Everest Base Camp (5,364m)

He's Very Good At Staring Compeitions

What I Looked Like In The Beginning

What I Look Like Now