Beaver Freezer Sprint Triathlon

Saturday morning I loaded my gear to take the 45 minute trip south to the OSU campus and do my second sprint triathlon. The weather was sunny but cold! I suck at swimming so I was in the second to the slowest heat for that (they run it in a lap pool, 4 swimmers to a lane) and our start time was 8:05AM. Thirteen minutes later I was running to transition 1 (T1) and getting a long sleeved 'cold gear' shirt pulled over my wet head. It was 38 degrees. I don't know what the wind chill on the bike was kicking along at 25 or so MPH but damp tri shorts don't do a damned thing to warm up the lower half. Major shrinkage!! The bike leg went well but my heart rate was way up from the swimming (slooowly!) and then my calves started cramping up so I think I could have done much better. Oh, and I don't have a time trial bike or even aero bars on my Madone so I'm pretty happy with my time. The run went great. Calves settled down and I kept a decent pace to tick off the 3.1 miles in 24 minutes. Overall time was 1:19:49 which was over 5 minutes faster than last year. Placed 93 out of 314, If I could ever learn to swim freestyle without sucking water I should be able to break into the top 50. You can check out the results here. Wish I had some pictures that were worth posting!http://onlineraceresults.com/race/view_race.php#racetop
A picture, kicking it on the bike leg: http://www.backprint.com/view_user_photo.asp?S=20&tabID=7&PID=bp%18%7EA&EVENTID=49305&ID=63784466&FROM=browser&CAT=0&SUB=0

At any rate, it was a fun Saturday and I'll look forward to it again next year. The bike is still my favorite part of the triathlon so I'm looking forward to the next bike race I can enter. Kings Valley Road race is this weekend but there is an Easter egg hunt Saturday morning at our church and I know where I my priorities are. If nothing else I should be able to hit PIR on Tuesday nights every once in a while!

Post Vacation Post

Back in Oregon again and already missing the heat of the desert, wanting to go back and soak up some more sun, go for a run at 7:00AM in the sun instead of the rain.
But what can you do? We enjoyed it while we could but we came to realize that the inevitable was upon us. Work and school are calling us back to get in to the old routine and crazy schedules that we left a little over a week ago. But oh what a wonderful week it was!
After a long, long drive we arrived at Universal Studios for a day of theme park adventure. Things have changed since Kim and I had been there while still dating almost 20 years ago. (Man I feel ancient sometimes!) It was cool but that helped keep the crowds down so we were able to see everything that we wanted to and ride all the rides we wanted before having dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, Hollywood. From there we headed east to Palm Desert/ Palm Springs to visit with Mom and Dad for the rest of the week.

Once there we found the sun and warmth that Oregon winters

just don't provide. I love Oregon (especially when the sun does shine!)and would think long and hard before moving, but having 350 days of sun would open up so much more time to get out on the bike. The summers there are ridiculously hot but winter and spring are perfect. While down there we had some good news and my brother got out of the hospital so he could visit the family while we were there. He is still adjusting to the meds so at times he had some odd things to say but I think he is figuring it all out this time. All too soon it was time to make our trip back north and of course as soon as we hit the Oregon border rain greeted us in the passes along with some sleet. I have the Beaver Fever sprint triathlon this weekend and the forecast looks promising. I have neglected my swim training this year so I'll be suffering until I hit the bike and run.

Looking forward to that so being back isn't all bad. Hoping to fit the Kings Valley Road race into my schedule also so we'll see how the rest of the week goes. I'll just have to keep dreaming of sun filled days until they finally arrive here in the valley!

Brothers

Only days before a nice Spring Break vacation to visit family and my Mom drops a note that my youngest brother went off his meds and needed to be admitted to the psych hospital again. I don't know what the right fix for him is and that is what is troubling. He finally has his own place to live, transportation, and the ability to go out looking for a job, but hasn't been too successful at this point. If there were ever a perfect example of what drugs can do to a person this is it. He apparently did mushrooms with some 'friends' when he was living in Eugene. I don't know if it was a one time deal or not but since then he has had some troubles. When he is doing well he is a pretty normal young guy, but once he hits one of these down swings there is no reasoning with him and the psycho bable that one hears in a conversation with him is straight out of a movie scene. (Hey, Matt, I don't want to say this too loud or scare the kids, but I'm pretty sure Dad is the 'Zodiac Killer'.) I love all of my brothers and only want the best for them. Paul is doing well and surviving in the economy as am I. Adam is a bit of a loner and is currently looking for work like many others out there, but seems to be enjoying the dry weather and good fishing in eastern Oregon. And Greg is safe at the moment and in professional care. We will just pray that he can recover quickly this time and that we can visit with him at home, instead of at the hospital. Hang in there little Brother.

Here Comes the Rain Again......

"Here comes the rain again" a perfect song for this beautiful state of Oregon, don't you think? Last week I rejoiced at the clear skies that appeared on Wednesday. I donned my cold weather gear and commuted into work for the rest of the week, went out on long lunch rides each of those three glorious days, and generally enjoyed the sun beaming through my office window. The rides may have been a bit windy on the return trip and going home in the evening, but I was riding. Outside. On dry pavement! Unfortunately the forecast was dead on and a torrential downpour soaked most of the weekend and the rest of the week looks about the same. Cloudy. Grey. Damp. What the hell. It is Oregon and to live here without losing your sanity you learn to appreciate the beauty that comes when the sun does choose to break through.
Saturday I did go out for a 5 mile run in the storm though. I don't mind running in the rain, but for me, cycling is not as much fun in it. On Sunday I hopped on the rollers for an hour before settling into the couch to watch the updates and the last stage of Paris-Nice. As I recharged in the warmth of my living room I thought of all the racers who had braved the elements out at Banana Belt #2 who must be soaked to the bone and crunching road grit between their teeth. A race that I wish that I could be at but being on a Sunday it is nearly impossible to fit into our family schedule. Though riding in the rain is not my favorite thing, I still wish I could have been out there in it. Getting wet. Getting cold. Crunching road grit in my teeth. Racing!

When will spring get here?!

OK, this is nuts, or it is driving me there in a hurry. Friday, while cool out side, was a beautiful spring like day. I rode the bike into work, took it out for a noon ride and even rode home with a short sleeve jersey after work. (Turns out it was maybe a bit cool for that, but no frost bite! We finally bought a basket ball hoop for the kids to get them out side and on Sunday we were playing HORSE in between snow and sleet showers. Today we have more of it, though not as bad as a week ago. All that occupies my mind is getting a vacation to someplace with some sunshine and dry pavement!
Other than the weather it was a good weekend spent with family. Friday Kevin won his Basketball game and later I played X-box with him (More like he schooled me. Simply not my talent to be any good at Call of Duty or Lord of the Rings. Maybe if I practice more, which I might because I did have fun) Saturday we did a little spring cleaning and went shopping, Sunday Jennie and I went for a run to get her prepped for the Jog-a-Thon and Kim and I went to Costco. When you have four kids it is funny how mundane activities can be almost like a date. When it is only the two of us we can actually talk with each other and enjoy the non-parent side of being together. Funny how a little thing like the weather can turn from a bad to a good thing when you change your perspective. I still need some sunshine though!

Snow! Again?

I know, it's still February but come on. (The kids loved it of course) The daffodils and hyacinth around our house have already popped up and are just waiting to open. For me snow is always a beautiful sight, especially like this morning when it was heavy, wet and clinging to all the naked tree branches. There is nothing else like it. However, it is nearly March and I can think of nothing more than spring and sunny clear days and all that needs to be done around the house and yard. I guess thatching and reseeding and weeding and all those other things will wait. I can easily let those things slip to the back of my mind, but this weather, and the rain we have had all week, really make me wish for a clear day to get on the bike and roll out for a good training ride. The sun is now out and the snow is melting away, now if it will only stay away until next December!

Sublime Sublimity- Ride to the Hills!

This is the start?! What was I thinking? Is this going to be worth being in the doghouse? How many 'rolling hills' are there?

So went the start of my first official OBRA bike race, The Sublime Sublimity Circuit Race. Or should I say painful ride through some beautiful countryside as I was spit out the back of the pack so quickly. I was humbled beyond expectation. I guess the other 'beginners' stayed home. I don't think it helped much that the CAT 4 and CAT 5 guys started at the same time because the CAT 4's and likely some experienced CAT 5'rs left about 20 of us in the dust after the fist couple of hills on this sadistic course. Thanks to Marcel, Will, and Ryan for the various friendly wheels, words of encouragement and shared bits of wit and misery.

All said, it was a good first experience that has me wanting to go out and race another one. Racing must be like child birth or something because after bonking hard, seeing spots, screaming leg muscles, being passed by some of the CAT 4 gals, and all that misery, once I crossed the finish line (Did they really need to have it finish on that hill!!) I felt great and relieved that I at least finished the race.

Even before the finish I was dreading the 5 mile ride back to the church and contemplating having someone shuttle my sorry butt back, but on the final leg many of the previous finishers that were already riding back to the church were shouting words of encouragement. That helped me make the final pull to the finish and once across the line some serious endorphins must have kicked in because the ride back to the church seemed easy.

If cycling and getting in a few races is my mid-life crisis then so be it. It is healthy, I enjoy it, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than a Corvette!