I flew out of Mallorca on a high note after Owen and I got in a 70 mile ride with 7,000 feet of climbing along the coast of Mallorca.  We made a stop in the small town of Dye and had one of the best espressos I have ever had.  Unfortunately the two Cortados were a bit of a sacrifice and we walked outside to a downpour.  The warm temperatures and beautiful coastline made the pouring rain much more tolerable. After a half hour of rain and very slick roads the skies cleared just in time for our climb back over the mountains and then into Palma. I highly recommend traveling to Mallorca, Spain to anyone looking for some great cycling, amazing food and beautiful scenery.  Check out The Cycling House for a few trip options.  Unfortunately my time in Mallorca, Spain was ending but I still had another week in Europe ahead.

I traveled to France with the intention of racing the Maxi-Race de Lac Annecy an 84km trail running race. I made a quick trip to Chamonix, France for some trail running but Europe was experiencing a very wet spring and the snow levels were very low.  Despite the pouring rain I had a great time and eventually made my way to Annecy, France.  I stayed with my friend John Goldsmith owner of Duckstore Productions; a custom bicycle tour company in France.  I met John last year while working the Tour De Ted for Edward Jones.  John and his wife Knar were amazing hosts and their home was an amazing base for trail running.  I was able to dodge some of the rain and got out for some great rides and trail runs.  Unfortunately the bad weather forced the race directors to cancel the ultra race.  Cold temperatures, snow and very muddy trail conditions forced the cancelation.  I still made it out every day on the trails, enjoyed some good wine food and coffee.  After a week in France it was time to return to Montana for a few days before heading out for The Cycling House Wisconsin.

Trail running in Annecy, France.

Traveling across multiple time zones and traveling often can become very difficult.  Here are a few tips that I have learned along the way.  Hammer Nutrition; I always have a good supply of PIC’s (premium insurance caps; daily multivitamin), REM caps (improves quality and length of sleep), Hammer Bars (quick fuel during travel) and Compex (electrical muscle stimulator).  The combination of these 4 items from Hammer Nutrition allow me to keep myself somewhat regular and Compex provides a quick fix for muscle recovery and helps get rid of travel legs. Packing; never pack to much but always bring the appropriate gear for each adventure.  In my case this typically includes swimming, biking and running clothing. I usually pack 3 pairs of bike shorts, 2 jerseys, 4-5 pairs of socks, wind vest, arm warmers, leg warmers, rain jacket, 2 pairs of running shorts, 1 long sleeve wicking shirt, 1 running short sleeve shirt, gloves, hat and of course a speedo.  This has all of my sporting endeavors covered and along with cycling shoes, Zoot ultra Kalini 3.0 running shoes, and flip-flops I have all of my bases covered.  Casual wear is a whole other story but I follow the Hammer fueling protocol of, “less is best” and bring the minimal amount of clothing needed for the trip.  Packing light is always nice because unwanted clothing can become a bit of a burden especially if you are moving around often.  A couple pieces of casual clothing that I do bring come from Mountain Khakis (built for the mountain life).  I typically bring 1-2 pairs of shorts and 1-2 pairs of pants both from Mountain Khakis.  The durability, stylishness and comfort of the Mountain Khakis products help me pack light and fit the mold for most occasions. I favor the alpine utility shorts and pants for most of travel adventures.  Those are just a few tips but packing smart can make a trip that much more enjoyable.

Col de Colombier

I flew back to the old USA and had a couple of days in Montana to relax before heading to Wisconsin for camp.  The two days in Montana were actually spent organizing my life because after Wisconsin I was heading to New Hampshire for the summer to live with my girlfriend (Bri) and do some east coast races.  Orange crusher was loaded to the gills with toys and I headed out on what turned out to be quite an adventure.  The adventure began before I left the great state of Montana.  Just outside of Billings I stopped for gas in a very small town and much to my dissatisfaction Crusher (vw vanagon) would not start.  I did the normal thing, head on steering wheel, yelled “fudge” or something similar and opened up the Bentley VW manuel.  Of course it was pouring rain, the town had one gas station and I was still a little jet-lagged.  After a few feeble attempts at getting Crusher started I made the walk of shame into the gas station.  I asked if there was a mechanic in town but the attendant started to laugh and said, “well Bill is kind of a mechanic.”  She got Bill on the horn and he drove down to the gas station.  Bill seemed to be as equally perplexed about the inner workings of a VW vanagon and two of us scratched our heads and stood in the pouring rain.  I ended up calling a tow truck and had Crusher towed back into Billings.  The tow itself sucked but anxiety set in because it was Friday and I knew I might have some difficulty finding a mechanic to work on the beast on a Saturday.  The tow truck driver helped me find a mechanic but they would not be able to check it out until the morning so I grabbed a hotel room.  My Dad met up with me in Billings with The Cycling House van because he was coming to Wisconsin to help out with camp.  The next morning I made the call to the mechanics with fingers crossed and they informed me that Crusher started right up.  My first thought was, “sweet” my second was, “WTF”  I had that thing towed in for nothing.  I knew their had to be something wrong and it was indeed the starter.  I logged onto Go Westy (a VW supply company) and ordered a starter and had it sent to Wisconsin.  Now the race was on!  I had to get Crusher from Billings to Madison, Wisconsin with a faulty starter and nearly 20 hours of driving separated me from my final destination.  My Dad and I headed out with Crusher leading the way and about 3 hours down the road I ran into some more trouble.  Only this time I knew what the trouble was, I ran out of gas.  Fortunately I was only 5 miles out of Glendive, unfortunately Crusher shut off and would likely be very difficult to start again.  I drove the TCH van and filled a gas canister then filled up Crusher, turned over the key and nothing happened. I grabbed what would become the best tool that I had in my toolbox; a hammer.  I crawled underneath the van and gave the starter a few good whacks with the hammer while my Dad attempted to start the van.  On the third or fourth try my chest was hit with exhaust and Crusher was running like a champ again.  I learned a valuable lesson that day along I-90, do not turn off the van unless I have to and it gave a new meaning to #howihammer.  For the remainder of the day Crusher was running while I filled up gas, stopped for food and finally had a rest in Minnesota.   The next morning I got up turned the key over and nothing.  I grabbed the Hammer out of tool box, gave the starter a few good whacks and we were up and running again.  I completed the cannonball run to Madison with time to spare before camp started the next afternoon.

Crusher at the barn in Wisconsin.

The camp in Wisconsin went well and you can read a post about it here; The Cycling House blog.  On the last day of camp my Dad an I started to change the starter and we were quickly joined by 2 campers that were eager to lend a hand.  I replaced the old starter with a new GoWesty gear reduction starter which looked like space age material compared to the behemoth of a starter the VW originally had.  I crawled out from under Crusher with a greasy face and a smile and awaited the outcome as someone attempted to start up the van.  The van started right up and I was ready to hit the open road for another 20 hours of driving to New Hampshire.  My Dad got me AAA, thanks Dad!  Just in case!  Fortunately the van started flawlessly all the way to New Hampshire.  On the trip east I learned exactly why crossing the country in a 1990 VW vanagon is an adventure.  On my second day of driving, yet again in the pouring rain the entire windshield wiper on the drivers side flew off the van at 70 mph.  All I could do was start laughing and with less than 3 hours of driving left I decided to push on without a windshield wiper.  I finally pulled into Manchester with a grin on my face and a large sense of accomplishment after all of my trials and tribulations with the Crusher.  Now I’m onto some east coast adventures…..

Windshield wiper-less…

Yes the Ridley Dean is still for sale but more importantly I realize that a significant amount of time has passed since my last post; ooops! But I have been writing a little…

Where to begin?  The season at Tucson wrapped up in mid-April after hosting over 12 camps from January until April.  Obviously we were very busy and my blog suffered the consequences.  The funny thing about winter for me is that I buckle down with work and training and live in a little bubble for 3-4 months.  Well; the bubble is broken and I have been roaming the streets, trails and coasts of several states and a couple of countries.  Wrapping up after another great season at TCH in Tucson was bittersweet because I knew that I had a few fun weeks ahead before I start my next adventure (more to come about this).

Wide open roads of Tucson!

In April I raced my first race up in Phoenix in the Leadman series.  The race was a little last minute because we had a camp going on at The Cycling House but I made it a quick trip.  Unfortunately the race was a bit of a cluster.  My last minute planning, poor course markers and lace of volunteers made it a training day rather then a race.  I started my morning out in Scottsdale and decided to check the start time on the way to the race.  I looked at the race start time about 3 weeks ago and between then and now it changed from a 8 am start to a 7 am start.  I gripped the wheel of Crusher and accelerated as much as the old VW would let me because it was already 6:30 and I was still 20 minutes away.  I had the pedal to the metal and was flying at 75 mph when I realized the majority of the roads were closed for the race.  I had to take a very roundabout route to the race start.  Parking was difficult and I grabbed my bag and started to run.  This made for a really good warm up but left me with no time to prepare so I threw my bag on the ground found a volunteer to pump up my tires and ran to the race start while attempting to put on my wetsuit.  I had less then a minute once I entered the water before the gun went off.  Making the race was a small victory and I occasionally found myself shaking my head in disbelief that I actually made the start.  Unfortunately after the bike I went from 3rd overall to 14th after missing an early turn on the run and adding a couple of extra miles.  It made for a good training day despite all the mishaps and I was happy with my overall fitness.

A few weeks later I made the two day drive up to Missoula, Montana for the Grizzly triathlon (Montana World Championships). I arrived on Friday ready to race Saturday; rock star racing!  The Grizzly triathlon will always have a special place in my heart but this year my heart was not ready for the A game that some of the other competitors brought.  I missed the podium for the first time in several years finishing 4th .  Regardless it was great to be back in Missoula for a few days of sleep, trail riding/running, and to hang with friends.  Missoula was a really quick trip and after only 4 days their I was on a plane heading back to Arizona.  Drew and I picked up my VW (Crusher) in Phoenix and started a one week California road trip to Wildflower.  The first stop was San Diego to pick up some surf boards, hang with Drew’s parents, ride bikes and surf.  We had a great couple days in San Diego then headed up the coast for Ventura, California.  We had an amazing place to stay on the coast just outside of Ventura, California and our days passed quickly with; runs, surfs, rides and lounging.  It felt really good to have a few days without routine after 4 months of camps.

We had no lack of toys in Orange Crusher.

Our next stop was San Luis Obispo to pick up a 30 foot RV for the Wildflower Triathlon Festival. This past year I started another branch of The Cycling House called The Racers’ Roost and hosted the first “ultimate racing experience”camp at Ironman Canada. It was a hit and Wildflower was the perfect venue for our second camp.  I absolutely love the atmosphere at Wildflower and feel like this race is what triathlons used to be like before the M dot races took over. The weekend has a festival feel and is often times called, “The Woodstock of Triathlon.”  Tent camping is typical and the park has over 10,000 people camping every Wildflower weekend. I wanted to offer our clients an easy way to enjoy Wildflower and the atmosphere it has to offer so Chef Drew and I set out to get it done TCH style with an RV.  We handled all of the transportation, bedding, tools, Hammer Nutrition fuels, bike builds, food, logistics, etc. and the Roosters’ were able to race with ease!  

Wildflower 2013!

The food was amazing, the race was great and we had some very good times!  In addition to hosting the camp I also raced the long course which is always a challenge.  The race did not disappoint and some very warm temperatures had me wishing I was on the sidelines cheering.  I finished and logged some more good training and the race provided me with some fuel for the fire for the 2013 season. After the race I pounded some Hammer Nutrition Recoverite and had a few REM caps before bed and it had me recovered and ready to cheer on Sunday.  The Roosters’ both raced well with a very solid long course finish and a podium age group finish for the other in the Olympic distance race. A huge congrats to Scott and Judy for their finishes at Wildflower!  Please check the website if you are interested in Wildflower 2014.

Suffering like a dog on the run!

After Wildflower Drew and I wrapped up the trip with some time in Big Sur, Santa Cruz and San Francisco.  The trip was a blast and at the end I jumped on a bird headed for Mallorca Spain for the 3rd annual camp at The Cycling House Mallorca.  I will surely have some good tales from the island and upon my return to the states I will make the journey out to the east coast to stay with my girlfriend, Bri.  Until then….

I’m unloading my 2011 race bike.  It is a medium sized Ridley Dean spec’d out really nice with SRAM Red and Zipp handlebars.  The bike is super fast, aero and ready to race. $2500 OBO Email with questions trijalapeno@yahoo.com

In January I attempted my first ultra distance running race and actually enjoyed running 50k.  My longest run to date in life had been 26.2 miles and I really could not fathom running much further.  It is funny how the sunshine impacts your motivation and on a sunny, warm January day I decided to run the 50k.  The race had a few options of distances and it was not until race morning that I really committed to the 5ok as I signed up in the dark.

Most of January was spent on the bike as we got rolling with TCH camps and my run volume was lacking.  While I was in Missoula during December I had 2 good 3 hour runs in the sun but after that the actual run volumed decreased drastically.  I had always wanted to experience the ultra distance and see how the legs responded with just triathlon training in them and not focused ultra run training.  I knew that the result could be a disaster but I was willing to go to the well to see what happend.  I had just finished reading the book; Deep Survival, and knew that my survival in this race seemed minuscule compared to the stories of survival the book provided.  I highly suggest Deep Survival for anyone looking for a good read and some insights that can be applied to triathlon or endurance racing in general. TCH staffers; Drew, Heidi and myself headed up to Phoenix for the race and slept in the parking lot the night prior to the race.  I love waking up and being at the race start so I knew that this might set me up for the race my only concern was finding hot water for coffee.  The race was organized very well; and even had some breakfast items including coffee and hot water.  Life could not have been better and I was ready for the unknown with a few cups of hot coffee in the belly!

The field was small and it looked like I had some competition because there were some dudes equally as skinny as myself.  My fueling plan was to use Hammer Nutrition Heed, Endurolytes and Hammer Gel.  I planned to use Heed in my handheld water bottle along with a packet of Hammer Gel every 30-45 minutes and 2-3 Enduorolytes / hour.  The race started in an orderly fashion compared to an Ironman swim and I settled into a manageable pace in 3rd place.  After 20 minutes of running the leader made a wrong turn when I was following and we re-routed back onto the course and I found myself in first place.  I had no idea what type of pace to run for 31 miles so I just started to run and have fun.  A couple of dudes followed and we quickly separated ourselves fromt he rest of the field.  I felt amazing and wanted to show the competition that I felt good.  I tried to start up a couple of conversations and most of the guys gave one word answers.  After a while one guy (eventually second place finisher) ran with me and we had a good conversation.  After awhile I let him know that this was my first 50k and he indicated that we might regret this pace later in the race.  I began to worry a little but reassured myself that if I really believed it I could make it happen.  On the first big climb I separated myself from the others and came in off the first loop with a couple minute lead.  Drew helped me re-supply my Hammer Nutrition products and I was off for the final 13 miles of the race.  I knew my lead was solid but I was dreading the 2 mile sand section and eventual big climb.  I went through 26.2 miles in 3:08 and was still feeling good!  A few minutes past the marathon mark I started to really begin to hurt!  All at once my legs got very tight and my stride shortened.  At this point I knew I had about a 4-5 minute lead and thought that I could limp it in.  Limp it in I did; the last 5 miles took me nearly 50 minutes but I crossed the finish line in 3:57 in first place.  I held 7:30 pace for 31 miles and had my first 50k under my belt!

The race was a huge success and I plan to jump in a few more throughout the year.  Heidi dominated the 31k race and won the women’s race finishing 6th overall.  Now it is time to log some solid training and really get ready for the 2013 triathlon season.

First off I need to give a huge thanks to my 2013 title sponsor.  The biggest thanks goes out to Hammer Nutrition.  They hands down make the best fueling products on the market!  In addition to their fuels the added support with Hammer supplements, Compex electrical muscle stimulation and 53×11 coffee I knew I had an arsenal of great products behind me.  Injury and watching from the sidelines always sucks but I can honestly say Hammer Nutrition got me back on the field quickly.  A combination of Tissue Rejuvinator (anti-inflammatory; Tumeric), Compex muscle stimulation, rest and a stretching and strength routine got me back on my feet.  So a huge thanks to Hammer for all of the support!  I really could not have achieved what I did in 2012 without Hammer Nutrition.

Many other sponsors helped me along my 2012 campaign so a huge thanks to them to! Zoot Sports provided the best running shoes, wetsuits and clothing available for triathletes. The Cycling House provided more support then I can list and has been a huge part in making me the endurance athlete that I am today.  HED wheels provided the fastest wheels and aero-bar combination in the market. Nashville Hip & Fracture & Ark Intervals provided continued support in 2012 too!  Mountain Khakis had me looking sharp off the bike and Missoula Bicycle Works kept my bikes rolling well! A big thanks to my supporting sponsors from 2012!

Here are a few results, stats and numbers from 2012

• Sprint Triathlons-1 
• Duathlons- 1
• Olympic Triathlons- 2
• Half Ironmans- 1
• Ironmans-3
• Marathons-1
• US States Traveled- 16
• Other Countries Traveled- 4
• Time in Missoula- 14 weeks
• Different Sleeping Locations- 30+
• Times up Lemmon- 14+
• Top 10′s in Multisport Races- 6

I have lofty goals for 2013 but my A race will be Ironman Lake Placid.  I plan to start the year off with some 70.3 & Olympic distance races before shifting towards and East coast campaign and Ironman.  I plan to hit the road in the VW and race hard and chase my goals!  Thanks for all the support in 2012!

White Hot chilling with the VW

The Cycling House staff assembled for Dawn to Dusk; a 12 hour mountain bike race outside of Phoenix in Mcdowell mountain park.  A longtime TCH client; DJ Brooks recruited Heidi, Drew and I for the race.  The whole TCH crew flew into Phoenix on Friday night and we camped out at the venue and started the race Saturday morning.  We were entered as a 4 person mixed team and we finished up 2nd place in our division.  One of my personal sponsors; Mountain Khakis, helped support the event providing gift certificates for the winners in each division.  Mountain Khakis makes a great product build for the mountain life and they are based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  They also sponsor a road cycling team and have supported me and The Cycling House for a couple of years.

Owen shooting pictures sporting the Mountain Khaki original mountain pants.

The team rallied half way through the race and started to creep up in the standings once endurance became a factor.  New staffer; Heidi Rentz, laid down the fastest time amongst all the women.  Drew and I were battling each other for lap times and DJ had a stellar 2nd lap to jump us up into the top 3.  Heidi and Drew split the final lap and we made the podium.  The race was a great time and the team showed its true strength in the later part of the race.  The Cycling House was fueled by Hammer Nutrition throughout the laps and products like Fizz and Endurolytes became crucial as the temperatures hit 80+ degrees.

The Cycling House crew on the far left.

It was a great event and with the support from great sponsors like Mountain Khakis it will continue to be fun December race. After the race The Cycling House crew rallied down to Tucson for our first annual Moots cycling camp.

Three weeks ago I loaded up the new VW Vanagon and pointed it south for Moab, Utah. I attended a NOLS Wilderness First Responder course for 10 days in the desert.  The class was intense and I learned a ton and enjoyed every minute of it.  I highly recommend this course for anyone that spends significant time in the outdoors.  I lived the simple life and every day after class I headed out into the desert for some trail running.  I love running in the desert and Moab offers some great trail running.  I was in crash training mode because after the WFR course finished I was running the Trail Marathon National Championships in Moab.  I earned my WFR certification after 10 days of class and I’m now ready to save lives!

After 10 days of running my legs were starting to feel decent and I knew I could make it the full 26.  My longest run in preparation was 90 minutes and I had about 4 weeks of decent running under my belt.  All I can say about the race is WOW!  The view were stunning, trail were epic, and I was challenged in more ways then one.  The majority of the course was on remote double track that climbed up slick-rock, topped out with some amazing single-track and descend on some technical rocky trails.  Most of my races I’m very motivated and competitive so it was fun to race within my limits and attempt to make sure I did not blow up to bad.  I relied on Hammer Nutrition to get me through the race and used Endurolytes, Hammer Gel (Espresso/Huckleberry) and Fizz.  In the end I had a great time and was happy with a 3:33 for 13th place and 3rd in my age group.  I highly encourage anyone that wants a challenging, beautiful off-road marathon to consider Moab.

After the trail marathon the road trip continued and Bri and I headed toward Durango, Colorado to see Andy Schultz and his fiance Alison.  We were able to hit some trail in Durango, Flagstaff and Sedona.  After another week of fun travels I finally made it down to Tucson to help get ready for our first camp of the season at The Cycling House.  The trail race was motivating and I’m ready to start training for the 2013 season.