Uh oh! I got what I asked for. I signed up for the third year in a row and actually got an entry this time into the famous Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race!  It’s 100 miles across the high-altitude, extreme terrain of the Colorado Rockies starting at 10,152 feet and climbing to 12,424 feet on…

So many of the races I have been doing are a long drive away.  I decided it might be nice to sign up for something around San Diego.  Something I can roll out of bed and go do without all the planning and expense of hotels or campgrounds. I found the perfect one.  The Giro…

Following Ironman Arizona, I have been a bit of a slug when it comes to training.  When that happens, it usually means I have no goal to chase.  No race within the imminent future.  No reason to rise at 4:30am and/or hit the gym in the evening.  Granted, for about a month or so it…

Finally, it was time to head to Tempe and get this race going!  The Tempe Chamber of Commerce clearly had something to do with the scheduling of check-in.  Usually, you can show up the day before and check-in and rack your bike.  For some reason, at Ironman Arizona you have to check-in on Friday, then…

The key to Ironman training is focus and telling your inner self to shut up.  Today was a perfect example of such an effort. I left the house at 6a.m. and drove to Las Vegas for a conference that starts on Monday.  However, it was long run day.  The inner self would say, “Well, you…

Today was a day where I headed out to hopefully complete some big mileage and also try out some new and refreshed gear a few weeks in advance of Ironman Arizona.  You never want to try the new stuff the day of.  All kinds of bad can potentially happen over 140.6 miles. First, it has…

It was a mixed bag today.  I started out with my 6AM 4000 yard swim.  It was pretty much the same as it always is.  No faster, no slower, no issues. My triathlon bike was still in the shop just like it was last weekend waiting for a new crank covered by warranty, fortunately.  For…

Sunny, high of 72, kind of the perfect San Diego kind of day to go for a long Ironman training run.  So…I did. The last two long runs were 19 miles each with an average pace of 10:59 and 10:51 per mile.  During both of those, I felt fairly steady in the beginning with the…

If you have read The Tipping Point, you might remember the idea they floated that mastery comes in a sport after 10,000 hours of practice.  In no way am I mastering this sport, but certainly the last few weeks have shown a new level of comfort with it that I have never achieved before.  This…

The realization started while I was on a couch at our in-laws in San Luis Obispo on August 16th.  I had just finished a 79 mile bike ride with 4700 feet of climbing and was looking at a 13 mile run for the next morning.  I was finishing up my training schedule for Ironman Arizona…

Please join me in my efforts to support the Challenged Athletes Foundation as I take on my own challenge to complete my second Ironman race. At my own cost, I will attempt to swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles on November, 24th, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona to bring awareness and funding…

Training for Ironman Arizona is definitely turning out to be an experience of “train where you can.”  This weekend we are visiting family in San Luis Obispo which gave me the opportunity to pick from various epic Central California Coast cycling routes for my long weekend ride. The last time I rode in San Luis…

I arrived last night in Panguitch, Utah after driving 660 miles.  It took me 10 hours with stops. Good thing I started it out with some quality Java from the little Florence Coffee cabin in Butte.  You know your coffee is going to be primo if it comes from a drive up window on the…

Man cannot live on cycling, triathlon, road trips, local craft beer, coffee, podcasts, cabin building, huckleberry shakes, and endless turkey sandwiches alone.  There needs to be fishing!  Especially in Montana! My friend Joe and I have fished all over the place including co-owning a wood drift boat when we lived in Eugene, Oregon.  We usually…

My friends Joe and Brenna are attempting to build a Montana based brand around the Hygge lifestyle.  What the heck is the Hygge lifestyle?  I asked the same question.  First, it is pronounced “hoo-ga”.  Second, according to a Country Living article, it encompasses a feeling of cozy contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in…

My goal was to depart Coeur d’Alene by 8:00 a.m..  However, the day after the 70.3 Ironman Coeur d’Alene would require serious coffee and possibly some morning carbs.  My pick was Terre Coffee & Bakery. Coffee was important, but bakery was a craving I could give into this day after the race.  Unfortunately, their idea…

3:30 a.m. and it is race day!  I have no cooking options in the trailer so cold Panda Express it is.  Mostly rice and a little chicken and mushrooms.  Of course, I had to crack open a fortune cookie in my half awakeness before I took a quick hot shower to wake up my body…

I happily woke up on Saturday without incident with the lurking turkeys.  Good thing as today is check-in day for 70.3 Ironman Coeur d’Alene.  It was time to get my head in the game for the race on Sunday. First on the agenda was a light run to get my hips loosened up from the…

My eyes open and to my surprise, I am in a bunk bed.  Oh yeah, I am at the Bunk + Brew that probably means there are five other people in here with me.  Sure enough, slumbering away in their respective bunks were three women and two other guys.  The time was 6:30 a.m. which…

Day 2 of 14.  Last night it started a little chilly in the tent.  Then, chillier.  Then, dang cold!  I had to add a layer to my legs and put my down vest on inside the mummy bag.  I was plenty toasty then.  By the time I woke it had dropped to 40 degrees in…

Day 1 of 14! Gear is packed, bikes are on top of the Subaru, and the back window is painted with the endurance destination highlights of this epic adventure! The first goal today was mostly about making ground between home and opportunities far, far North.  Departure was at 5:15am to miss some of the Los…

Tomorrow it begins. 3,000 miles of learning new things, collisions with people from different walks of life, exploring new places and experiencing physical and mental tests of my abilities.

My kind of streaming clearly in my future…